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OUR BOYS’ PRIZE LIBRARY 

FIVE VOLUMES ILLUSTRATED $1.00 PER VOLUME 

JUST HIS LUCK 

By Oliver Optic 

THE YOUNG WRECKER 

By K. Meade Bache 

THE LILY AND THE CROSS 

EKi' James de Mille 

THE CHILD OF THE TIDE 

By Edna D. Cheney 

THE BOYS OF THIRTY-FIVE 

By Edward II. Elwell 


Lee and Shepard Publishers Boston 









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A MAN AT THE HEI.M 


























































































































THE 


YOUNG WRECKER 


OP THK 

FLOUIDA REEF 


OK THE 


Trials and Adventures of Fred Ransom 



RICHARD MEADE BACHE. 




opwr 

BOSTON 

LEE AND SHEPARD PUBLISHERS 


79 '^ 




V 




Katered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1866, by 
JAMES S. CLAXTON, 

in the Olfice of the Clerk of the District Court for the Eastern 
District of Pennsylvania. 


Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1869, by 
CLAXTON, REMSEN & HAFFELFINGEE, 
la toe Clerk’s Office of the District Court of the United States in ani 
for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 


Copyright, 1893, by Richard Mkad:: r>A( me 


THK VOL’XG avri;ck;;k 









PREFACE 


The author has endeavored, in the following story, to 
deviate as little as possible from fact, so as to combine 
instruction with amusement. Personal familiarity with 
the scene of the tale has enabled him to make its descrip¬ 
tions strictly accurate. The incidents are natural, many of 
them having actually occurred. The original of Dr. Cluzel 
was the well-known Dr. Perrine, whose amiable character, 
and great enthusiasm in the cause of science, caused hif 
««Qtimely death to be universally regretted. 


L. 




1 



CONTENTS 


CHAPTER I. 

An Old Bachelor introduces himself to the Young Reader—Describe* 
nis present Appeiiranee and Feelings—Promises to tell the Story 
of the Adventures of his Boyhood. 9 

CHAPTER II. 

Our Hero, moved by a Spirit of Adventure, begs his Father to grant 
him permission to make a Voyage—He is refused—Repines at what 
he considers his hard Fate—Makes the Acquaintance of the Son of 
a Sea-Captain—Renews his Request to his Father, and is again re¬ 
fused—Visits his Friend, and runs away by Accident. 13 

CHAPTER III. 

The Mystery of the preceding Chapter explained—Our Hero’s painful 
reflections—His position on the Schooner—Flying-Fish. Porpoises, 
Dolphins, Whales—Diversions of the Crew—Southern Cross—Gulf 
Stream—Water-Spouts—Arrival off the port of Havana—Gloomy 
forebodings again overwhelm our Hero—His letter home—Captain 
Edson’s Sympathy and Advice. 23 

CHAPTER IV. 

Sunrise oflf Havana—The Harl or—T'he Wrecker Fh/ing (loud —Cap¬ 
tain Edson’s promise—H;s Visit to the Wrecker—Mingled despon¬ 
dency and hope. 44 


CHAPTER V. 

Captain Edson’s Mission crowned with Success—The Captain of the 
Wrecker an old Friend—Captain Edson obtains a Situation as Cabin- 
Boy for his Protege, who, in mentioning his Name to his Employer, 
necessarily announces it to the Reader. 52 

CHAPTER VI. 

Captain Bowers gives Fred Ransom a vacant berth in the Cabin— 
Fred Ransom performs his Duties aboard of the Schooner—The 
Captain gives him leave to go Ashore—The Quays. Fish-Market, 
Havana Lottery, Volantes, tlie Paseo, Tomb of Columbus, Captain- 
General of Cul)ft. 58 


CHAPTER VII. 

The Flying Cloud sails from Havana—The Vessel—The Crew—The 
Cook—Tne Newfoundland dog, .Jack... 71 

CHAPTER VIII. 

The Flying Claud anchors off the Marquesas—A party from the 
Schooner go ashore—The Scenery of tne Keys and inner Bay— 
The Graining—One of the Party devoured by a Shark. 76 











VI 


COlSTENTSj. 


CHAPTER IX. 

The Discourse of Bill Rnggles—The annonncemerit of the Norwe¬ 
gian’s Fate to the Captain and Crew—Their Horror—The Captain’s 
{Sermon—The Burial Service—The Schooner sails. 90 


CHAPTER X. 

Captain Bowers—Key West—The Conchs. 96 

CHAPTER XI. 

Captain Tuft and his Friends—The h]xcursion to Sand Key—Captain 
I’uft’s Cook, Sol—Reflections on tlie W’onders of the Reef—The Re¬ 
turn to Key West. 102 


CHAPTER XII. 

The Character of the Sailor—Landing Wild Cattle—The Mad Bull— 
The Captain’s intention to Sail... 112 

CHAPTER XIII. 

The effect of a Gale upon t he Color of the Water about the Reef—The 
Fljfing Cloud sails from Key W'^est—Her cruise between the Florida 
Reef and Keys. 118 


CHAPTER XIV. 

Fred Ransom describes the Reef and Keys, in order that the Reader 
may more fullv enjoy the Adventures which are to follow, and also 
acquire some knowledge well worth obtaining. 122 

CHAPTER XV. 

How the occupation of Wrecking is pursued—Observations on the 
Character of the Wreckens. 132 


CHAPTER XVI. 

The Flying Cloud weighs Anchor—She comes to Anchor at her 
Wrecking Station—The W'recker’s Life. 13G 

CHAPTER XVII. 

Fred Ransom’s fir.st day’s experience at Wrecking—He, Bill Rnggles, 
John Linden, Thomas Deal, and Dennis Biady. the Irishman, go 
ashore—They take Jack, who always wants to be one of a Party 
where there is likely to be any Sport. 141 


CHAPTER XVIII. 

The Boating Party land—A Mishap befalls Dennis Brady—He speedily 
recovers—Rnggles among the Cormorants and Pelicans — The Party 
capture a Jew-Fish—Turtling- Postponed. 151 

* CHAPTER XIX. 

The Flying Clmid inspects the Reef—Captain Bowers sends the Men 
•shore for Wood—Brady has bad luck again. IbC 


CHAPTER XX. 

The Men are sent Ashore again—They Resume the Wooding of the 
Schooner—Hannibal provides them with a Treat for Supper. 174 














CONTENTS 


Vll 


CHAPTER XXL 

The Men goTurtling—Tliey meet an Acquaintanee to whom they pay 
marked attention—Something about Turtles—What Switchel is—A 
Garden on the Bottom of the Sea. 179 

CHAPTER XXII. 

The Flying Cloud rides out a Gale—A Disaster on the Reef—The Flying 
Cloud arrives the Day after the Fair. 193 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Fred Ransom gives some Extracts from his Journal, which records 
some cunous things that he saw and something of what he did and 
the news that he received. 197 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

George Bowers and the long-expected News from Home—The tide in 
the Affairs of Fred Ransom is ai the Flood which, Shakespeare 
says, Leads on to Fortune.”. 208 

CHAPTER XXV. 

The Kate Ramsey relieves the Flying Cloud on the Station north of In¬ 
dian Kev—The latter sails for Cape Florida—Fred Ransom and 
George Rowers listen to the Men spinning Yarns—Brady excels all 
the rest. 217 


CHAPTER XXVI. 

The Anchorage at Cape Florida—Fred Ransom and George Bowers— 
What tliey did, and what they saw, after they were put in command 
of a Dingy. 229 


CHAPTER XXVII. 

The two quarter-boats are sent to the Main land to procure Water at 
the Punch-Bowl—A Storm—A Ship in sight—Captain Bowers sails to 

g ive his Advice and render Assistance—The Ship goes ashore on 
le Reef.. 234 


CHAPTER XXVIII. 

Rescue of the Ship’s Crew—All aboard the Flying Cloud —The Storm 
continues—The Flying Cloud lying at her Anchors and riding out 
the Gale. 246 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

The Wreck driven higher on the Reef—Wreckers heave in sight— 
Two are retained by Captain Bowers—They take a load from the 
Ship, and sail for Key West—Brady’s quarrel on shore with the “ Big 
lugin,” and how it ended. 257 

CHAPTER XXX. 

The Water subsides along the Reef—The Flying Cloud continues the 
Wrecking—The irrepressible Brady describes the appearance of the 
Irish Indians—The Return of the two Wreckers—All the Wreckers 
weigh anchor—Fred Ransom makes the Acquaintance of the family 
of Captain Bowers. 26# 












Vlll 


CONTENTS 


CHAPTER XXXI. 

The Salvage settled by the Admiralty Court in Key West—The Fh/ing 
Cluud sails from Key West—She comes to anchor off Indian Key— 
The Captain. George, and Fi-ed, go ashore and spend the evening 
with the family of Doctor Cluzel. 27i 

CHAPTER XXXIL 

The Flying Cloud .sails from Indian Key—She arrives at her old An¬ 
chorage—The Captain visits the Wreck—The Crew set to work to 
save the Iron about it. 281 


CHAPTER XXXIII. 

George Bowers and Fred Ransom make a Voyage—The Oak Forests 
on St. Jolm’s River—The Captain’s invitation to the boys on 
their Return—Fishing at nighh without hooks or bait—The Sport, 
and how it was enjoyed. 286 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

How to find a Turtle’s Nest—Habits of the Turtle—Turning Turtles 293 
CHAPTER XXXV. 

The Miami—The Everglades—The Deer-Hunt—TheSiesta—The Fight 


with Panthers—Indians prowling in the Forest. 305 

CHAPTER XXXVI. 

The Return to the Forest—The Surprise by Indians—The Capture of 
George—The Pursuit—The Rescue. 321 

CHAPTER XXXVII. 


The Captain gives the Alarm—The Commandant’s Suspicions—His Re- 
q^uest to the Captain—The Indian’s Confession—Jack’s Death and 
Burial. 335 


CHAPTER XXXVIII. 

The Flying Cloud sails for Indian Key—The Message from Captain 
Bowers to Dr. Cluzel—No Attack expected that Night—The Surprise 
—The Massacre—The Murder of the Doctor—The Escape of hi.s 
Family and of Fred Ransom. 3 ^ 

CHAPTER XXXIX. 

Freil Ransom’s Reflections-A Ship on Fire—The Rescue of the Crew 
—Mutual Recognition. 360 


CHAPTER XL. 

Arrival at Key West—Fred Ransom and Party sail for New York—Th® 
Voyage Home—The Old Bachelor’s Adieu.... 377 











THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


OR 

FRED RANSOM. 


I- 

AN OLD BACHELOR INTRODUCES HIMSELF TO 
THE YOUNG READER - DESCRIBES HIS PRES¬ 
ENT APPEARANCE AND FEELINGS - TELLS 
THE STORY OF THE ADVENTURES OF HIS 
BOYHOOD. 


AM an old bachelor. I have 
reached that time of life at which 
we old fellows are generally supposed 
to be fat, and to wear gold spectacles 
and very easy shoes. If you will pic¬ 
ture me thus, the result will be a suf¬ 
ficiently accurate portrait of my per¬ 
sonal appearance and identity. 

Although I am about to write some of my 
own adventures, I do not purpose writing about 
my present self, but of myself when I was very 
different from the sketch which I have made, 

(9) 





10 THE YOUNa WRECKED, 

Every old bachelor was once a young one, and 
every young one was once still younger, when, 
although a bachelor, he was known only as a 
boy. It is the story of the boy, who is now an 
old bachelor, that I am about to narrate. 

As you may perchance wish to know some¬ 
thing of the character and feelings of the person 
who addresses you, and how he came to do so, I 
will indulge your curiosity. 

We old fellows have not all those cares of 
family which fill the hours of others with pleas¬ 
urable duty, and time often hangs heavily on 
our hands. Many of us try to do our duty. 
Heaven forbid that we should be blind to the 
need that this world has of earnest workers! 
But, after all, a man may minister to the needs 
of others, and yet there come vacant hours, 
when he must return to himself, and require 
ministering to his own. If he lacks not plenty 
of the goods of this world, he may have heart- 
yearnings that are quite as pitiable as hunger, 
thirst, and want of shelter. Would that every 
one could be spared the sharp pang that I have 
sometimes experienced when fondling the joy 
and pride of some household,—the chubby boy 
who tossed his arms with glee, and twined his 
little hands in my shaggy beard! 

Sometimes, especially at night, when I return 
to my lonely chambers, and feel the influence 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


11 


of a home where there is no presence of a life 
closely allied to mine, a vague, aching sense of 
void bends over my nature. But these are feel¬ 
ings which you are now too young to compre¬ 
hend, and which I trust that you may never 
experience. 

I read, walk, go where my services are 
needed, I force myself to accomplish set tasks; 
but yet, with all this, I am not contented. Of 
friends I am not destitute. One may possess 
friends, and still be very lonely; for one can¬ 
not live forever at their houses. So it happens 
that I generally dine at my club, but now and 
then I accept a friend’s hospitality. But I am 
not sufficiently engaged, for regular employ¬ 
ment is necessary to happiness. I will write, 
thought I. If I have no boys of my own to 
listen to the story of their father’s life, the 
family of boys in the world is large enough to 
gratify my wish for hearers. I had often 
thought of writing it, but my intentions came 
to nought, until a trivial incident, occurring a 
few days ago, fixed my resolution to carry out 
the project. 

I will now tell you the circumstance which 
determined me to write, to show you upon what 
tiifles great undertakings sometimes hinge,— 
for it is no small undertaking to write a book,— 
and then I shall enter upon the story of my 
adventures. 


12 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


The other day, I returned home after a 
lonely dinner, and throwing myself back in an 
easy chair, I went off into an after-dinner 
reverie. It was a warm afternoon,—one of 
those when the atmosphere seems to hum with 
heat. At such a time, one’s senses seem to bo 
peculiarly alive to the impression of sounds, tho 
faintest murmur being articulate, and yet a 
part of one grand chorus. A big fly kept 
droning around the room, except when it 
inserted itself in a crevice, and extricated itself 
with a whiz and dash against the nearest ob¬ 
struction. Lulled by the intense heat and the 
buzz of the insect, my mind rambled away to 
the places in which I had spent some of my 
earlier years. I vividly recalled the tropical 
scenes, among which I had once passed my days. 
They came to me like a story of adventure, and 
passed in review as if a diorama unrolled before 
me. Suddenly the big fly struck violently 
against my face. I started, and made a switch 
at it with my pocket-handkerchief. “ Too bad,” 
I thought, to miss the rest.” I laughed aloud, 
as I exclaimed with delight,—“Why it is my 
own story. If it could be so interesting as a 
reminiscence, why would it not prove interest¬ 
ing to those who have never heard it? My 
mind is made up, I will write it for the enter¬ 
tainment of others, and for my own.” 


OB FEED BANSOM 


13 


XX. 


CUR HERO, MOVED BY A SPIRIT OF ADVEN¬ 
TURE, BEGS HIS FATHER TO GRANT HIM 
PERMISSION TO MAKE A VOYAGE-HE IS RE¬ 
FUSED-REPINES AT WHAT HE CONSIDERS 
HIS HARD FATE-MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE 
OF THE SON OF A S E A-C APT AIN - REN E WS 
HIS REQUEST TO HIS FATHER, AND IS AGAIN 
REFUSED -VISITS HIS FRIEND, AND RUNS 
AWAY BY ACCIDENT 



WAS born, not of ^^poor but re- 
spectable parents," as the phrase 
goes, but of respectable parents who 
were well-to-do in the world. At an 
early age, my father settled in New 
York. He was an Englishman, born 
in the town of Sheffield. Soon after 
his arrival in this country, he es- 
'iiblished himself in New York, in the busi¬ 
ness for which Sheffield is famed, and very soon 
afterwards he married "the lady who was the 
mother of our hero—myself. Not many years 
after that event, my poor mother died. Not so 
early, however, that I have not a distinct recol¬ 
lection ol her; but early enough for me to lose, 


14 


THE YOUNG WRECKEH, 


at a tender age, tlie affection and cherished 
counsel which exercise so great an influence 
over the life of every one who has been so for¬ 
tunate as to possess them. 

My father intended me for his ovt'n business, 
but having a thorough appreciation of the 
value of a good education for every one, no 
matter what course of life may be pursued, 
he placed me at an excellent school in the 
city, intending to keep me there until I should 
be at least seventeen years of age. Without 
having any distaste for business generally, or 
for my father’s business in particular, I grew up 
with that indefinable longing that is common 
to many boys—a desire to roam. A vague 
feeling constantly beset me that I must ramble 
somewhere in the world. I persuaded myself 
that if my wish were gratified, my propensity 
might be overcome. It was not long before I 
imparted these feelings to my father, and beg¬ 
ged him to let me go upon a voyage of some 
sort; but I found him opposed to it, and I 
thought him obdurate. He represented to 
me, that my wish was nothing but a sense¬ 
less craving for excitement, and that if 
it were manfully resisted, it could be sub¬ 
dued, and that it was my duty to conquer it. 
All this he said to me, talking as many a father 
has done to his son, and will do fruitlessly to th^ 


OK FEED RANSOM. 


15 


end of time. My arguments were based, as I 
have intimated, upon the very reverse reasoning. 
I contended that the gratification of my wish 
would serve the purpose of allaying my desire, 
and that deprivation would only serve to 
increase it. We could come to no satisfactory 
conclusion, as we were so diametrically opposed, 
and time passed, and, after a while, the subject 
was not resumed between us. I saw that he 
was fixed in his determination not to give his 
consent to my wish, and when, after many 
unavailing attempts to shake his purpose, I 
came to this conclusion, I was silent in refer¬ 
ence to the matter. 

Meanwhile, I continued to go to school, and 
to fulfil my duties, but I also continued to brood 
over the hard fate, as 1 thought it, wliich pre¬ 
vented me from seeing something of the world, 
and which would probably sentence me to a 
life spent without ever visiting those scenes 
which I delighted to picture in my mind. 
Whether it was that I had a natural propensity 
tor rambling, or whether the obstinacy of my 
nature had been aroused by the opposition with 
which the first expression of my wishes had 
been met, or whether both these causes con¬ 
spired to render me impatient of control, and 
doubly desirous of escape from it, I do not 
know; but certain it is, that my longing to 


16 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


travel somewhere became daily more intense. 
However, I pursued my studies with some 
relish, for books have always been to me sources 
of interest and enjoyment. But the undercur¬ 
rent of my existence was the vain, ill-defined 
desire which I have expressed to you. Pos¬ 
sessed with this constant longing, which seemed 
immeasurably removed from the possibility of 
gratification, it gradually became my habit to 
frequent a certain tier of wharves which were 
situated at a convenient distance from our house. 
In my uneasy condition of mind, I felt that if 
I could not travel, there was some solace in 
being near the instruments with which man has 
learned to conquer space, and transport the arts 
and treasures of other lands to his own door. 
These wharves of which I. speak, were chiefly 
frequented by a class of small vessels which 
brought fruit from the West Indies to the New 
York market. Laden with fragrant oranges, 
bananas, and other tropical fruits, which, heaped 
up in fabulous profusion, seemed to me to have 
brought with them the very atmosphere of the 
sunny climes in which they grew, these tiny 
vessels possessed to my youthful eyes the beauty 
of gondolas. And yet they were sorry-looking 
vessels, the largest not more than a hundred tons 
burthen. 

Of course, it was not long before I formed 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


17 


the acquaintance of some of the. people who 
sailed in them, and, naturally enough, too, 1 
first made the acquaintance of a boy who was 
about my own age, and who turned out to be 
the son of the captain of one of the largest of 
the vessels. From that time forward, my desire 
to go to sea became more uncontrollable than 
ever. I sometimes passed the whole of my 
leisure in the cabin of his schooner, and often 
diverted myself by imagining that we were at 
sea. Boy-like, I soon frankly confided to him 
my wishes, and the ill-success that they had 
met when I expressed them to my father. He 
consoled me by saying that the ‘ old man' 
would come around after awhile," but he ob¬ 
served that, for his part, he could not see why 
I was so anxious to go wandering about, espe¬ 
cially to leave such a city as New York, where 
there were lots of fun going on all the time. 
He only wished that he could change with me, 
for that then we would both be suited, for he 
would give me his place, and welcome. “ Where 
was the fun," said he, “in pitching around at sea, 
between New York and the West Indies, when 
a fellow could live all the time in a city, and go 
to the theatre, and have a regular jolly time." 
I replied, that it was all very well for him to 
talk in that way, when he, although so young, 
had seen something of the world, in touching 


18 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


along the coasts of Mexico, South America, and 
the West Indies; but I felt that I had, in 
comparison, seen nothing. My visits generally 
ended by our spending the evening together at 
some entertainment, which he declared to be 
better fun than going to sea, and joked me 
about asking our fathers whether they would 
not swap sons. 

This acquaintance was not particularly con¬ 
genial, except from his being associated with my 
chief desire. Soon after meeting him, his fath¬ 
er’s vessel made two or three voyages, and I saw 
him only at intervals of several months. , During 
the absence of the vessel, I committed all sorts 
of vagaries. I used to go down to the wharf and 
take a look at the berth in which she usually 
lay, and every thing connected with voyaging 
had now become so dear to me, that I kept in 
one of my pockets a piece of tarred rope, such 
as sailors call old junk, and this I would some¬ 
times furtively withdraw and smell, as if it ex¬ 
haled the most delicate perfume. 

The vessel had been absent for three or four 
months, after I made the acquaintance of the 
captain’s son, when she came into port about 
the middle of September. It was in the year 
1839. As usual, many hours had not elapsed 
before I heard of her arrival, and paid a visit 
to the wharf. For several days, I made my 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


19 


customary visits to tlie place. One day as I 
parted from my friend, who was called Charley 
Edson, I mentioned that I should probably be 
unable to see him on the morrow, as it would 
be my fifteenth birthday, and my father had 
intimated that we would spend it together as a 
holiday. He answered that I must be sure to 
come on the following day, for that they had sold 
their cargo, and intended to sail as soon as 
some other business was transacted. 

The next day my father proposed that we 
should make an excursion to a certain place— 
one of the numerous beautiful spots by which 
New York is surrounded. I eagerly acceded 
to his proposition, and we started off together. 

It is not necessary to my story to enlarge 
upon the events of this trip, for I cannot even 
now recall my father’s kindness, and his solici¬ 
tude for my enjoyment, without pain at the re¬ 
collection of the sequel. Perceiving that he was 
in an unusually pleasant mood, I judged that a 
favorable opportunity had arrived, to resume 
the subject upon which I had been so long 
silent. I therefore commenced by reminding 
him that I was now fifteen years of age, and 
represented to him, that I had lately shown 
my discretion, by not urging him to grant 
my wishes; but that now, as they were as 
strong as ever, and I had, for some time, zeal- 


20 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


ously pursued my studies, I hoped that he 
would permit me to indulge in at least one 
voyage. At this discourse his countenance fell, 
and I saw, subsequently, that his pleasure for 
the day had gone. However, he replied, kindly, 
that he wished me, as he had already said, to 
continue my studies until I was at least seven¬ 
teen years of age. He remarked, that he had 
hoped I had given up my whim, and seen how 
foolish it was. It was best, he continued, that 
I should remain at school for two or three years 
longer, and then settle down into a business 
man, and aid him in his affairs, the burden of 
which was daily increasing. 

It was my turn now to be disappointed, and 
the rest of our holiday passed uncomfortably 
enough. I had not a thought that was not 
loving and filial, or else I would not have been 
so sad. 

Late in the afternoon we returned to the 
city. My father parted from me kindly, saying, 
as I went towards my room, You will think 
better of this, my son, and one of these days, 
you will know that I am right." I was sor¬ 
rowful and vexed—sorrowful that my scheme 
had again miscarried, and vexed with myself, 
because I had caused my dear father unhappi¬ 
ness, on a day when he had sought to contribute 
to my pleasure. ^ 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


21 


In this uneasy frame of mind, I wandered 
out of the house, about dusk, and niecliaiiically 
bent my steps towards the wharves wliich I 
frecpiented. The shades of evening deepened 
as I walked along, and lamp after lamp was 
lighted along the streets through which I 
passed. By the time that I had reached the 
river, night had fallen, and the badly illumina¬ 
ted docks looked gloomier than usual, owing to 
my emerging from the brilliant streets of the 
city. Here and there one could discern the 
tracery of rigging defined against the sky. 
An occasional glimmer of a smoky lamp, a 
hoarse voice, the fall of a plank, or something 
of the sort, now and then indicated that the 
vessels at the wharves were not wholly deserted. 
The night was very sultry, and I sauntered 
leisurely along, until I reached the place where 
the schooner lay. 

The only person about seemed to be the cook, 
who was stirring around his galley, making 
preparations for his next day’s duties. I hailed 
him, and asked where all the people were. He 
told me that the men had gone to town for a 
while, and that the captain and his son had 
gone there too, on business, as the schooner was 
to sail early in the morning, so as to take ad¬ 
vantage of the first of the ebb, for the tide 
would turn to run out about daylight. I an- 


22 THE YOUNG WRECHEH, 

swered tliat I would wait, aud seated myself on 
the taflrail, and watched the lights of the ship¬ 
ping which lay at anchor in the harbor. The 
tide was running out then, so there would be 
one intervening tide before the one which was 
to serve the schooner. As the stream flowed 
swiftly by the vessel, as she lay bow foremost in 
one of the wharf-slips, the laving, gently plash¬ 
ing sound was most agreeable on an evening so 
hot. I became impatient of waiting, however, 
and after I had amused myself with seeing all 
that could be seen on deck, I resorted to the 
cabin, and took a seat on a cushioned locker. 

I felt sure that my friend would not return 
before ten o’clock, but as I had determined to 
wait, I lay down on the locker and thought over 
my day’s excursion, my father’s disappointment 
and mine. At last I fell into a doze. When 
I awakened, I thought, from my feelings, that 
T must have been sleeping soundly. I awoke 
giddy; every thing seemed to reel around me‘. 
With a strong effort, I fully aroused myself, 
jumped up, and staggered across to the other 
side of the cabin. Sick at the stomach, I 
clambered with difficulty up the companion- 
way, and plunged into the arms of a man at 
the helm. I was at seal 


on PEED HANSOM. 


23 


XXX. 

THE MYSTERY OF THE PRECEDING CHAPTER 
EXPLAINED-OUR HERO’S PAINFUL REFLEC- 
TIONS-HIS POSITION ON THE SCHOONER¬ 
FLYING FISH, PORPOISES, DOLPHINS, 
W H A L E S - D IV E RS I O N S OF THE CREW- 
SOUTHERN CROSS-GULF STREAM-WATER- 
SPOUTS-ARRIVAL OFF THE PORT OF HAVAN/> 
-GLOOMY FOREBODINGS AGAIN OVERWHELM 
OUR HERO-HIS LETTER HOME-CAPTAIN ED- 
SON’S SYMPATHY AND ADVICE. 


j PLUNGED, as I said, on deck, 
and into the arms of the steers- 
man, who staggered against the wheel 
as I lurched over to leeward, and, 
steadying myself by a strong effort, 
glanced around just in time to see 
the captain and my friend rushing 
aft with blank amazement written on 
their faces. Blank as they looked, my expres¬ 
sion must have out-rivalled theirs, as I stood 
supporting myself by the rail of the vessel, and 
swaying to and fro with every roll of the sea— 
sea-sickness and dismay blended in my counte¬ 


nance. 



‘24 THE YOUNG WRECiTER, 

How did you get here?” breathlessly ejacu¬ 
lated the captain, as soon as he and his son 
reached my side. My friend uttered not a 
word. I saw, at a glance, that he thought I 
was a regular stow-a-way. 

At this point, the poetical unities of time, 
place, and action, suggest that I should intro¬ 
duce a tlirilling passage consisting of a pathetic 
appeal to be put ashore. The soberness of 
truth, however, induces me to tell the fact, that, 
at the moment when the captain greeted me 
with the words, ‘‘ How did you get here,” 
a spasmodic effort contracted my body, 1 
turned from him, and falling heavily on the 
rail, and hanging over it like a limp bolster, 
I poured forth those libations which man offers 
alike to Bacchus and to Neptune. 

I dwell not upon the ensuing scene, in which 
I made a fruitless attempt to explain the fact of 
my presence. I was assisted to the cabin, and 
induced to lie down until a more favorable 
opportunity for talking should arise. dhey 
would have left me on deck, for the benefit of 
fresh air, had not the sea been running so 
high, that the schooner was constantly wet 
from stem to stern by spray, and occa¬ 
sionally shipped some water. 

Although I was not in a condition to explain 
matters, I was not so far overcome that 1 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


25 


could not think; and the misery of the en¬ 
suing hours, during which, perfectly realizing 
my situation, I turned over in my mind the 
occurrences of the preceding day, was almost 
intolerable. The thought of what my father 
must imagine, made me wretched, when, in 
addition, I recollected that I was absolutely 
powerless to control the course of events. 

Two days elapsed before I was able to crawl 
from the berth which my boy-friend kindly 
relinquished for my benefit. But long before 
that, mutual explanations had been made of 
the occurrence which appeared so extraor¬ 
dinary; and which, nevertheless, happened in 
so simple a manner, that that is the point 
which is really extraordinary. 

It seems that the cook of the vessel had 
correctly informed me, when he told me that 
the captain and his son had gone to the 
city on business, and that the men were also 
off on leave, in anticipation of sailing in the 
morning. It happened that the captain and 
his son, when on their return, came across 
the sailors, who were engaged in carousing, and 
making a disturbance in one of the streets ad¬ 
jacent to the vessel. Perceiving, at a glance, 
that if he was to carry out his purpose of 
sailing in the morning, he must ensure the 
presence of his crew, who might be commencing 
3 


25 


THE YOUNG WHECHER, 


one of those sprees which sailors sometimes pro¬ 
long for two or three days, the captain halted, 
and, after a long altercation, in which prom¬ 
ises and threats were mingled in about equal 
proportions, he managed to prevail upon his 
men to accompany him to the schooner, where 
they arrived in a very lurching and sea¬ 
men’s last-day-on-shore fashion. 

After getting them aboard and below, the 
captain was puzzled to know what to do next, 
for the men were in that rickety condition 
.of moral perception, when they would have 
readily made the most solemn promise not 
to go ashore again, and would have broken 
it the next minute without the slightest com¬ 
punction. In this dilemma, he chanced to 
look at the river, and perceived that the 
tide was still ebb. In a moment, he made 
up his mind to secure his crew, by taking 
advantage of the last of that ebb, instead of 
waiting for six hours, and then taking the 
first 01 the morning’s ebb. No sooner said 
than done. A schooner does not require 
many men to handle her. The captain, his 
son, and the cook, soon cast off the hawsers 
by which she was made fast to the wharf, 
and by putting her jib aback, forced her out 
of the slip. In a few minutes all sail was 
set, and we were under way, with a fair wind. 


OE FRED RANSOM. 


27 


The cook, it appeared, had seen me sitting 
on the taffrail, where I had taken my sta¬ 
tion to await my friend’s arrival; but soon 
missing me, he concluded that I had gone home. 
/Vt that very moment, however, I was sleeping 
with a boy’s heavy slumber, and with the 
lethargy entailed by a long and hot day’s 
excursion, and a previously agitated condition 
of mind. The sea, at first, was comparatively 
smooth, and the motion had been violent only 
for a short period preceding the time when I 
arrived on deck. The men, having been ascer¬ 
tained to be incapable of duty, the sole re¬ 
maining chance which I would have had of 
being discovered by the captain or his son, 
failed, as they, with the cook, were obliged 
to remain all night on deck, and navigate the 
vessel. 

The affair is now explained. Morning 
dawned, and found us far out of sight of land, 
the men just returning to their duties, one 
having already been stationed at the wheel; 
and the captain and his son would, within 
a few minutes, have found me in the cabin, 
had I not at last awakened, owing to the 
violent rolling of the vessel, and rushing up 
on deck, discovered myself to their astonished 
eyes. 

The question soon arose as to what was to be 


28 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


done. What could not be done was very plain 
—at least to the captain. If I had ever had 
the slightest notion that he would touch at 
some point on the coast and land me, I was soon 
disabused of that impression. Every sea-cap¬ 
tain, even the most amiable, has the idea that 
the laws of his vessel, be she never so small, are 
as immutable as those of the universe. No¬ 
thing renders the human mind so despotic, as 
the command of a few planks at the mercy of 
the elements. 

It was clear that I could not land any¬ 
where short of the place where it had been 
decided that the schooner was to make a port; 
unless, indeed, we were to be shipwrecked, an 
event not likely to befall a vessel possessed of a 
captain accustomed to the coast along which we 
sailed. 

After much debate, it was finally settled, that 
as the vessel was not to return to New York 
before three or four months, I should be left at 
Havana, at which place she was to stop for a 
few hours on her way to one or two ports 
in the islands to the southward of Cuba. 

Idleness at sea is an abomination in the eyes 
of every good skipper, and I was soon set at 
work to earn my right to the passage which I 
was taking very much against my will. I was 
very anxious to do what I could, to render my* 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


29 


title good to my board and lodging, and to 
ingratiate myself with the captain, who, all 
things considered, treated me very kindly. Not 
that I was really so much indebted to him, if 1 
faithfully performed the tasks allotted to me, for 
there is always so much to do about a vessel, 
that any supernumera'^y can fairly earn his 
salt. But my introduction had been so uncere¬ 
monious, that notwithstanding its being unin¬ 
tentional, the affair was very likely to try the 
patience of many a man. Here was I, neither 
officer nor common seaman,—a passenger with¬ 
out money or clothes, and, on account of many 
circumstances,<to be got rid of at the first oppor¬ 
tunity that offered, and yet to be got rid of with 
decency, and as the friend pf the captain’s son, 
although an uninvited guest, occupying a place 
in a cabin where there was little room to spare 
even to one most welcome. 

As to my own feelings, I had settled into a 
frame of mind in which, although still dis¬ 
tressed at the late event, I had summoned up 
my fortitude, in order to make the best of every 
thing and to be guided by circumstances. I re¬ 
solved that I would write to my father the very 
moment we arrived at Havana. As for re¬ 
turning to his house before I received some inti¬ 
mation of his pleasure, reflection showed me that 
such would not be the most prudent course; for 
3 * 


so 


THE YOUNG WEECKER 


I now felt to the full extent, how almost impossi¬ 
ble it must be for him to credit the statement 
which I had to make, that the occurrence which 
followed the conversation on my birthday had 
no connection with it, but was a mere coinci¬ 
dence. I made up my mind to write to him, to 
explain every thing, and to await his reply be¬ 
fore going home. • If he told me to return, I 
would return immediately. Whether he be¬ 
lieved me or not, I resolved that my course 
should be equally obedient. I must wait, how¬ 
ever, to learn his decision. I had no doubt that, 
in the meantime, I, a great, strong, healthy lad, 
could successfully measure myself with the 
world, and earn my own livelihood. 

For a few days after sailing, the wind proved 
light and baffling, and we did not make much 
progress. . My sea-sickness wore off, and I be¬ 
gan, in a measure, to relish the novelty of the 
life and scenes by which I was surrounded. At 
last, a whole-sail breeze from the north-west 
set in, and the vessel careened with every stitch 
of canvas set, and steered due south. 

As we sailed farther and farther south, we 
began to find our clothes oppressive. I had no 
change, and my friend no change to spare, so I 
suffered at first from what after all was a very 
petty inconvenience. 

The vessel’s track often lay through water 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


31 


alive with schools of flyiiig-lish. These, when 
alarmed at our approach, or at that of some 
voracious fish in search of prey, often leaped by 
hundreds from the water, and skimmed along 
just above the surface of the waves, on which 
they occasionally struck and with a ricochet 
prolonged their flight. They make no move¬ 
ment with their wings, which they merely ex¬ 
tend upon leaping from the water with the 
impetus of their previous speed through that 
medium. On rising above its surface, the wind 
propels them, and judging by the manner in 
which they sometimes slant their wings, and 
diverge from their' original course, the proba¬ 
bility is that they possess the power adroitly to 
take advantage of the different currents of 
wind; or, with the same current, to modify, in 
some measure, the direction of their flight. 
The wings of this fish are its long pectoral fins. 
They are slight, translucent, and supported by 
delicate spines. To show you that, beyond a 
very limited degree, the flying-fish cannot con¬ 
trol the direction of its flight, you only need be 
informed that it often flies over the bulwarks of 
a vessel and falls on her deck. It frequently 
comes aboard at night, and, in that way, we 
sometimes found a mess of fish all ready for the 
pan. 

Porpoises we saw by thousands. They dis- 


32 THE YOUNG WRECKER. 

ported iliemselves about the vessel, seemingly 
without the slightest fear. They are much 
quicker than the fastest steamship under way. 
They often indulge in queer freaks. As I 
watched them under the bow of the schooner, I 
often saw one swim with its tail almost grazing 
the cut-water. In that position it would adopt 
the same course as that of the schooner, with¬ 
out deviating so much as half a point, and 
swim thus for a minute or two, then dart off, 
and return almost immediately to its station. 

We once saw a school of whales; but they 
were too far off to be distinctly visible. Of 
course, there were many other fish which we 
saw, and many sea-birds were often in sight. 
We were ceaselessly followed by the inevitable 
Mother Carey’s chickens. 

I must not omit that wonder of wonders, the 
dolphin. The men harpooned one of these fish, 
and all hands were soon collected to see a sight 
which is always fascinating. My satisfaction 
was marred by knowing that what gratified 
our curiosity was agony to the poor creature. 

If you expect, from my description, to receive 
any thing like an adequate idea of the beauty 
•of the dolphin, you will be astonished when you 
see one. No painter that ever lived, could paint 
a dolphin, for he would have to paint fifty dol- 
hins, in colors of a brilliancy which the art of 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


33 


man has not yet produced. I can but give you 
a faint impression of what I saw. 

Recall the colors of rich changeable silks, or 
all that ever charmed you in a soap-bubble, and 
then imagine a great fish with these gorgeous 
hues covering the glossy surface of its body. 
On emerging from the water, it looks as if it 
had come from a bath of rainbow. The pris¬ 
matic colors blend, dissolve, renew, and fade 
away. With convulsive throes the fish ap¬ 
proaches its death agony, and then slowly the 
colors pass away, and a cold, ashen, lead-like 
hue steals over the body. The dolphin is then 
dead. 

The weather was so fine that no one spent 
much time below. As there was not much dis¬ 
tinction between quarter-deck and forward, we 
boys generally found ourselves grouped with 
the sailors, under shelter of the bulwark to 
windward. There I was for the first time in¬ 
structed in all those mysteries of tying intricate 
knots, splicing, plaiting, carving, sewing, and 
the thousand and one knickknackeries with 
which the sailor beguiles his moments of lei¬ 
sure. As the wind was now fair, there was 
scarcely any thing to be done from morning 
till evening, except to wash the decks down 
at daylight, and to take an occasional turn at 
the wheel. 


34 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

We had so much leisure, that at last even 
the amusement of making knots, etc., began 
to fail, from sheer exhaustion of all the va¬ 
rious devices; and symptoms of a desire to 
tattoo every body within reach, took possession 
of one of the sailors, who was an adept in that 
branch of the fine arts. As I had not the 
slightest mark upon my person, I was looked 
upon as a very desirable subject upon which to 
practise a little etching, but I resisted all over¬ 
tures, and he was forced to content himself with 
adding a few dolphins to the waters which sur- 
rounded a ship under full sail, that decorated the 
arm of one of the old salts. Although I have 
been a good deal at sea since that time, I have 
never changed my mind about this kind of 
ornamentation, which many a boy has been 
silly enough to adopt and heartily repented. 

The Southern Cross was now visible. I must 
say that I was much disappointed in this con¬ 
stellation. Like most others, it has no very 
marked figure. It can be recognized as a cross, 
but it is a very misshapen and lopsided one. 

Grand, mysterious, awful, I thought the 
waste of waters, but they were not blue. I 
could not distinguish blue, or else the sea was 
not blue, but a dull green in bright light, va¬ 
rying in shadow to a slaty tint. I found that 
the seamen did not trouble themselves much 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


35 


about such investigations. I inquired of Cap¬ 
tain Edson, who briefly replied that the sea 
was blue in some places and green in others. 
This answer made me hope that we should come 
to one of the places where it was blue. As 
he had not volunteered to tell me more than I 
mention, I did not press him, for a captain of a 
small vessel is a very great dignitary, not to be 
approached, when at sea, except with much awe 
and circumspection. 

We soon stood in further to the westward. 
As we had been steering south, we had kept 
well away from the coast, to avoid the current 
of the Gulf Stream, which, you remember, 
leaves the Gulf of Mexico, and after running 
parallel with the coast of the United States for 
some distance, gradually recedes from it until off 
the Banks of Newfoundland, whence it is deflected 
in the direction of Europe. The weather was so 
clear, and the wind so favorable, that Captain Ed- 
son determined to run toward the westward until 
he neared the edge of the Gulf SUeam, and 
then lay a new course for Havana. He al¬ 
tered the direction of the vessel by a few 
points, and we then felt as if we had almost 
reached our destination. The slightest incident 
at sea, looking to a prospective arrival, no 
matter how distant, gives zesi to life aboard 
ship. We changed our course about daylight, 


36 THE YOUNG WHECHER, 

and before eleven o’clock, I saw plainly, by the 
great number of birds, that we must have 
greatly reduced our distance from the land. 
Very far from the coast, even at the greatest 
distance at which we had sailed, sea-birds had 
followed in the wake of the vessel, but now 
they were ten times as numerous. 

About 11 A. M., I was standing near the 
captain, when he turned suddenly to me, and, 
pointing over the vessel’s bow, said, “ There, my 
boy, you said you wanted to see blue water, I 
hope you will find that blue enough for your 
taste. That is the Gulf Stream.” 

I looked ahead, and saw at about two or three 
cables’ lengths off, that the color of the water 
was entirely diiderent. But it looked dark; I 
could not detect the slightest bluish tint. I 
had barely time to say so timidly, when the 
vessel clove her way into the dark liquid, and, 
in the schooner’s length, we passed from the 
faint green sea into the deepest indigo that you 
can conceive. I almost shouted with delight. 
The water in which we were sailing seemed to 
be a different medium from that which we had 
left. It was so dark that it looked as if it 
could not be so thin as the other—so watery^ 
When the shadows of the clouds rested on it, it 
was as black as night, but when the sun shone 
out, it lighted up with every tint of blue, from 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


37 


dark indigo in the trough of the wave, to light, 
uriJliiuit blue, just before the feathery crest 
broke into diamond spray. I could have stood 
for hours on deck, gazing at this phenomenon, 
had we continued in the stream; but the cap¬ 
tain had no idea of stemming a strong current 
of several miles an hour, and he kept away by 
changing his direction to the southward and 
eastward, and, in a few minutes, during which 
we ran on the edge of the stream, we gradu¬ 
ally left it, and in an hour or two shaped our 
course afresh for Havana. 

The next day I saw another sight,—a water¬ 
spout, or, I should say, many water-spouts. 
The weather was extremely hot, and great 
clouds, which, to my inexperienced eye, seemed 
to betoken immediate rain, gathered in huge 
masses, like mountains in the sky. As I was 
watching these form and dissolve, and change 
unceasingly, I suddenly observed a tiny cone 
protrude from one. I knew in a moment what 
it was. Then, a similarly shaped object arose 
from the sea. The upper cone gradually grew 
longer and longer, all the time approaching the 
other, and waving gently to and fro with the 
action of the wind. 

Little is known of the cause of this phenom¬ 
enon, which occurs on land as well as at sea. 
In the former place, there is not sufficient 

4 



38 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


moisture to produce the lower cone. At sea, 
sometimes the upper cone is the first to form, 
and, at other times, the lower one precedes it. 
There are many variations, too numerous to 
describe in this place. 

The water-spout is supposed to be similar in 
character to the dust-storms which prevail in 
portions of Asia, Africa, and in the interior of 
South America.- The best authorities on the 
subject ascribe the phenomenon to the action of 
the wind, but confess that it is marked by a 
highly electrical condition. There are other 
theories, but I have told you enough of what 
relates to the scientific part of the phenomenon, 
and I now return to the description of the way 
in which it generally looks at sea. 

There is no appearance to which the upper 
cone in motion can be so well compared, as to 
the gently waving, hesitating manner with 
which an elephant approaches its proboscis to 
an object on the ground. No sooner do the 
cones meet, than an agitation seems to take 
place, and the column, reaching from sea to 
heaven, commences to reel and whirl rapidly 
off, until broken and dissipated in its frantic 
waltz. Sometimes I saw three or four water¬ 
spouts at the same, time, either formed, or in 
various stages of formation. Occasionally, a 
cloud would let down its trunk for some dis- 


Ort FRED RANSOM. 


39 


tance, and then withdraw it, as if it had con¬ 
cluded not to take a drink at that place. 

From certain indications, it is known that 
the column is not composed solely of vapor, 
but that a great body of water is actually sus¬ 
pended in the air. It is possible, therefore, 
that as the column is continuous, water from 
the sea may be carried up and enter the vapor 
of the clouds. We know that the clouds, by 
the reverse process, discharge their vapor in 
the form of water. Some observers state that 
the column in breaking invariably discharges 
fresh water. 

On the morning of the day following the last 
of which I have spoken, the captain announced 
to us boys that we would probably arrive off 
Havana by evening, but that he was afraid he 
could not reach there before sundown, in which 
case, we would not be able to enter the port 
before daylight the next morning. It seems 
that a regulation of the port of Havana for¬ 
bids vessels to enter after sundown. The rea¬ 
son assigned for this rule is, that the shipping 
is so crowded in the harbor, that vessels en¬ 
tering at night endanger those lying at an¬ 
chor. 

As the captain had surmised, we arrived 
too late,—just in time to see the first glimmer 
from the light-house which stands at the en- 


4.0 THE YOUNG WRECKER , 

trance of tlie harbor. However, we had known 
for an hour that we would not be able to get 
into the harbor that night. The captain, after 
some orthodox grumbling and knocking around 
every thing within reach, steered away and got a 
good offing, still within sight of the light, and 
here we lay off and on, as they say at sea, all 
night. The captain and Charley soon turned 
in, after the former had given some directions 
as to the sailing of the vessel. They were 
soon sound asleep, and I was left alone with 
my meditations. 

These were not of the pleasantest kind. In a 
few hours, I was to lose the only friends I had 
in those parts, and be put ashore in a country 
where I did not even speak the language of the 
people. However bravely youngsters may 
frequently talk,—and they do often indulge in 
that way, — when it comes to such a pinch, they 
are not apt to consider themselves more than a 
match for any difficulty, as they would lead 
people to suppose when the difficulty is imagi¬ 
nary. I confess that I felt my courage quite 
abated now, when I was in sight of the spot 
where my self-reliance was to be put to the 
test. As I sat at the cabin table, with my face 
buried in my hands, the better to exclude ex¬ 
ternal objects, and bring my thoughts to a 
focus, I did not feel myself to be such an Intel- 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


4] 


lectual and physical giant as I had deemed 
myself when I purposed grappling with the 
world. I felt that I was a boy, and not a very 
big one either, nor a very wise one for his years, 
few as they were. In fact, I felt very miser¬ 
able, and I, —the cabin was very dark, and the 
captain and Charley were fast asleep,—well! I 
blubbered. You must not mention it. Of course, 
it was very babyish. You would have done 
very differently, you think. Pooh ! that is just 
what I would have said, had I been told of such 
a scrape as the one in which I found myself, but 
—I blubbered. How long I continued to cry 
I do not know, but I was suddenly startled by 
a gruff voice from the captain s berth. 

“ Hollo, my fine fellow,” said the voice, as 
a tumbled - looking head protruded from the 
curtains, “ have you taken so much to the 
sea that you are brimming over with salt 
water ?” 

The head nodded at me in a kindly way, 
and I saw that it meant its words to cause 
me to cheer up. 

^'Captain,” I stammered in reply, ^'if I had 
only known you took a little interest in me, this 
would not have happened; but I did n’t like to 
speak to you, and ask your advice.” 

Speak away,” said he, bringing his legs out¬ 
side of the berth, and sitting bent forward 
4 * 


42 THE YOUNG WEECHER, 

on the edge of it, you must n’t suppose because 
I’m not inclined to lay much out on words, that 
I have n’t got some heart for other people s 
troubles. I knew you’d have to speak to 
me afore you went ashore, and I just waited 
till you raised a signal of distress.” 

Upon this I opened my heart freely, and, m 
the course of half an hour’s talk, found that I had 
mistaken the captain’s nature, as boys are very 
apt to do in the case of their elders. He told 
me that he would be obliged to land me,—that 
was certain,—but that he would do every thing in 
his power to aid me in getting shipped aboard 
of some vessel. In reply, I mentioned my pro¬ 
jected letter to my father, and my intention not 
to return to New York until I received news 
from him. After cogitating awhile, he approved 
of this; and added, that as I might to-morrow 
ship aboard of some vessel which might be on 
the eve of sailing, I had better write my letter 
at once. So he got out his ink-bottle, and a few 
dilapidated pens, which looked as if they had 
been used for cleaning bedsteads; and I was 
once more left alone, as the captain rolled over 
into his berth with a last kind word and a 
cheery good-night. 

So, by the light of a miserable lamp, and with 
tlie aid of a miserable pen, and my own 
tlioughts, more miserable than both, I wrote to 


OK FKED EANSOM. 


4 ^ 


my father, and narrated all that the readei 
knows. And, meanwhile, we tacked to and fro, 
and the night waned, and day had almost 
broken before I threw myself exhausted and 
feverish into the berth by the side of Charley. 


44 


THE YOUNG WEECKKB, 


Z-V*. 

SUNRISE OFF HAVANA-THE HARBOR-THE 
WRECKER FLYING CLOUD - CAPTAIN ED- 
SON’S PROMISE-HIS VISIT TO THE WRECK- 
ER-MINGLED DESPONDENCY AND HOPE. 



’ AINLY did I essay to sleep. The 
bustle and the swash of water 
overhead, as the crew sluiced the 
decks, the noise made by my com¬ 
panions while dressing, and the ra¬ 
pidly increasing light prevented my 
obtaining the rest which I courted. 

I dressed myself and joined the 
groups on deck. We were about three mil#>e 
from land. As I looked towards shore, I 
could distinctly perceive the light-house and 
some of the dwellings near Havana. The wind 
was ahead, and we were beating towards the 
harbor. The only thing on the water was a 
schooner, which, by her evolutions, appeared to 
be making for the same destination. 

There is something inexpressibly lovely in a 
fair weather sunrise at sea in a tropical climate. 



OR FRED RANSOM. 


45 


The air which, later in the day, becomes too 
fervid, is then tempered with a pleasant cool¬ 
ness. Gliding through the dark blue waters 
that encroach upon the very shores of Cuba, 
surrounded by the peaceful - looking sky, and 
inhaling the sea-breeze, just scented with fra¬ 
grance from the land, one may travel far with¬ 
out finding a lovelier scene than a clear sunrise 
off Havana. 

The schooner which I had noticed, was sail¬ 
ing on the opposite tack, and we rapidly in¬ 
creased our distance from each other. Just as 
we went about, I observed that the other vessel 
was also in stays. We then rapidly approached 
each other, and I could distinguish a long, low, 
fast-sailing vessel, flying at her peak what I 
took to be the American flag. 

I ran forward to find the captain, who was 
seeing that the chain was all clear, prepara¬ 
tory to letting the anchor go in the Larbor. I 
pointed out the flag to him. 

Yes,” said he, glancing up, and answering, as 
if he understood my thoughts, ii I don’t mis¬ 
take, you are in luck.” After another look at 
her, he resumed, “If things can be arranged, as 
I guess we can manage, this vessel will suit 
you to a T. You see, according to your plan, 
as you did n’t want to return immediately to the 
North, I was puzzled; for, said I tc myself^ of 


46 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

course, he cannot very well find employment in 
Havana, for he don’t speak Spanish, and, like¬ 
wise, if he ships, of course he won’t want to 
ship aboard of any but an English or American 
craft, where they speak his own language. 
Then I thought to myself, he don’t want to 
go a long voyage to England, and perhaps some 
other cruise before he is free, nor yet to the 
North, until he hears from his father. The 
short of it is just this here. If that vessel turns 
out to be what I think she is,—a Florida 
wrecker,—and her captain is not a most uncom¬ 
mon obstinate man, you’re suited at the first 
go off. You can ship aboard of her, and there 
you’ll be until you can get word from New 
York. I don’t believe there ’ll be a mite of 
trouble; for you see the wreckers take a crew 
on shares. If they get any salvage, every man 
has his portion; but if they are not lucky, the 
owners only lose the grub they provide.” 

While the captain was engaged in this un¬ 
usually long speech, the two vessels were 
tapidly nearing each other upon opposite tacks, 
which seemed as if they would bring them into 
collision if they maintained the same course. 
But as we approached still closer to each other, 
I perceived that the other schooner, being a 
fast sailer, would cross athwart our hawse 
Sure enough, a few minutes afterwards, she 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


47 


ran past us, cleaving the water as if she had 
been instinct with life, and triumphed in her 
speed. 

As she weathered us, our captain shouted 
through his trumpet: What schooner s that, 
—bound in ?” Another trumpet answered from 
the strangers deck, “ Wrecker, 

Key West, for Havana; who are you?" Our 
captain bellowed in reply, ‘‘ Cygnet^ from New 
York." Then plash, plash, plash, went the 
water from our bow, as the voices ceased, and 
the noise of the rush of the other vessel sub¬ 
sided, and we once more clove our way alone 
through the sea. 

The captain’s apparent certainty that 1 
would find no difiiculty in shipping aboard 
of the trim-looking wrecker, raised my spirits, 
and when, a few minutes afterwards, we were 
entering the harbor, I felt sufificiently relieved 
in mind to be able to enjoy the scene. 

On the left of the entrance of the harbor, 
stands a magnificent light-house, placed on the 
comparatively low rocks which form the base 
of some great hills on which Moro Castle is 
situated. The entrance itself is extremely nar¬ 
row, and so uniform in breadth, before it ex¬ 
pands into the harbor, that it seems almost 
like a canal. Moro Castle runs along the lofty 
hihs, its walls dipping 'nto the ravines, and sq 


48 


THE YOUNG WRECKEB, 


adapting tliemselvos to the peculiarities of the 
surlace, that they look as if they had become 
molten at their ba.se, and had run into the 
«^lopes. ^ 

The tall, smooth shaft of the light-houae, 
rising out of dark, rugged rocks, and contrast¬ 
ing with the undulating lines of Moro Castle, 
com})letes the outline on the left of the en¬ 
trance. The reader must add to the masonry 
a^ tint of dark yellow, in vivid relief amidst 
tropical green. Under these southern skies, 
nature blends colors, and adds shades of her 
own. Man can scarcely devise any thing so 
hideous, that, in time, she will not beautify it 
with vegetation, and paint it with a master 
hand. 

On the right of the entrance, the ground is 
low, and there, houses are numerous, but the 
city does not fairly commence until just beyond 
the narrow gut which leads from the sea. As 
the wind was ahead and very light and the 
passage narrow; short as it was, we would have 
had to make many tacks before getting inside 
of the main harbor, had we not lowered our 
sails, put some men in the jolly-boat, and towed 
the schooner througn. 

The wrecker had preceded us by half an 
hour, and we could see her lying at anchor in 
the harbor. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


49 


When the men had pulled about four or five 
hundred yards, we came in plain view of Ha¬ 
vana, which is situated on the right of the 
harbor,—a land-locked bay, whose only com¬ 
munication with the sea is through the narrow 
passage described. The unhealthiness of Ha¬ 
vana can, in part, be properly attributed to its 
situation on the bay, which, filled with nume¬ 
rous shipping, from which filth of all kinds is 
constantly discharged, lies under a tropical sun 
that must breed disease from its almost stair- 
nant waters. The tides in this portion of the 
Gulf of Mexico rise and fall only between one 
and two feet; so that in Havana there is no 
influx and reflux of vast quantities of water 
which would cleanse the harbor of its impu¬ 
rities. 

We were soon swinging at anchor. Now 
that the excitement caused by our arrival and 
the novel scenes which presented themselves, 
had ceased to distract my thoughts from the 
uneasy reflections which had beset me, I re¬ 
lapsed into the gloomy train of reflection which 
my unhappy situation engendered. I was look¬ 
ing disconsolately at the shore, and completely 
lost in my thoughts of home, when I started 
at being touched on the shoulder. Turning 
around, I saw the captain, who smiled pleas¬ 
antly, and said; 

5 


60 THE TOUNQ WEECEER, 

“Now, my lad,,cheer up. Don’t be down¬ 
hearted. All will come right. You have ex¬ 
plained every thing in your letter to your 
father. He’ll believe you, I know. You see 
I’m a father myself, and I know how one 
feels." 

This was balm indeed to me, for my doubts 
of my ability to take care of myself weighed 
lightly in the balance, compared with the heart¬ 
ache which I experienced when I allowed my¬ 
self, for an instant, to dwell upon the thought 
that my father might perchance refuse to be¬ 
lieve my story, repudiate me, spurn my love, 
and, perhaps, even declare that I should never 
have his forgiveness. Loving, I had always 
known him to be, but then I was about to call 
upon him to credit what appeared to be an im¬ 
possibility. 

“ Captain," I said, turning towards my kind 
friend, “ you have said the very word I needed. 
It is n’t the thought of how I’m to get along, 
that distresses me, but just what you said." 

“Well, then, cheer up," said the captain, in 
reply. “ I tell you again, it will all come right 
—my word for it. For the present. I’ll help 
you out of one part of your trouble. I did n’t 
intend to stay very long in this port, but I ’ll 
settle your affairs before I sail, or else I ’ll 
never leave it. I’m bound for that wrecker 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


51 


now. You wait here. I can get along without 
you better than if you were with me. Keep 
up your courage. Hollo/' he shouted, to 
the men in the jolly -boat, which was now lying 
along-side, drop a little astern." 

He threw his leg over the schooner’s rail, 
caught hold of the man-ropes at the side, and, 
in a jiify, he was steering for the schooner; 
and I was left on deck wistfully looking after 
him, until Charley came up, and began to 
chaff me in regular boy-fashion, as to whether 
[ hadn’t had about enough adventure. At 
a certain age, boys are apt to possess so little 
sensibility, that they are often brutal without 
meaning to be. However, on this occasion, I 
was not hurt. The captain’s certainty that with 
my father all would come right, coupled with 
my strong hope that I should be able to get a 
place aboard of the wrecker, had revived my 
spirits. I felt as if I had quaffed some subtle 
elixir that quickened my pulses and made my 
heart beat high with hope. 


52 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


V. 

CAPTAIN EDSON’S MISSION CROWNED WITH 
SUCCESS-THE CAPTAIN OF THE WRECKER 
AN OLD FRIEND-CAPTAIN EDSON OBTAINS 
A SITUATION AS CABIN-BOY FOR HIS PRO¬ 
TEGE, WHO, IN MENTIONING HIS NAME TO 
HIS EMPLOYER, NECESSARILY ANNOUNCES 
IT TO THE READER. 


N hour passed before I saw the cap¬ 
tain's boat quit the side of the 
wrecker and row for our vessel. 
The length of the captain's absence 
had created in my mind a misgiving 
that his mission had been unsuccess¬ 
ful. Now that I saw him leaving 
the wrecker, I rejoiced; for to know the worst 
was better than to be in suspense. As my 
gaze' was directed towards the boat, I saw the 
captain rise up in the stern-sheets and wave his 
hat. I was instantly relieved—he had suc¬ 
ceeded. In a few minutes he was aboard, and, 
shaking me by the shoulders, clapped me on the 
back, as he exclaimed, I told you so. I felt in 
my bones that the vessel had arrived 'specially 



OR FRED RANSOM. 


63 


for you. Why, the captain turns out to be an 
old friend of mine, although I had not seen him 
for these fifteen years. That’s what kept me so 
long. Meeting an old friend that way, made 
me forget, for a few minutes, the business I went 
on. Then, when I came to talk of you, it took 
a few minutes longer. But there is no trouble 
about your shipping. He's glad enough to get 
a boy. He says he s wanted one for some time. 
The place is only a cabin-boy’s, mind you, but I 
don’t see that you can better yourself, for you ’re 
not a sailor, and not even a man.” 

I professed myself delighted, as you can very 
well imagine. Then the captain told me that 
the wrecker would not sail for two or three 
days, and that his own vessel must leave early 
the next morning, but that I should stay with 
him until just before sailing, when he would put 
me aboard of the Flying Cloud. He tben left 
me, as he had to go ashore on business, and, by 
his advice, I went down' into the cabin, and 
added a long postscript to my letter to my 
father. I told him to address his reply to Key 
West, Florida. That is the port in which. 
the wreckers “fit out”, and receive letters, 
papers, and supplies of every kind. 

The captain, his son, and I, spent the evening 
together, and I felt as if I was about to leave 
friends whom I had known all my life; so 
5 * 


54 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

entirely do constant companionship, intercourse 
and kindly offices disregard time as a measure 
of the length of friendship. 

My letter had been posted, and it would pro¬ 
bably leave Havana in the course of a day or 
two. At the time of which I am speaking, no 
regular line of steam-ships plied between New 
York and New Orleans, touching at Havana on 
both trips; so it might be a month before my 
letter to my father would reach him, and 
another month before a letter could reach Key 
West. And then, if I were off on a wrecking 
cruise, as I expected to be, it might be three 
months before I should hear from New York. 
This was supposing the most unfavorable case,— 
that each letter would be a month in reaching 
its destination; but, then, both vessels carrying 
the mails, in which the letters were to go, 
might make short passages, and, instead of each 
being a month on the voyage, the time con¬ 
sumed might be less than two weeks for each. 
This, on the other hand, was too favorable a sup¬ 
position, so I concluded to take the mean,—to 
allow three weeks for each trip. That would 
bring a reply to Key West in the course of 
six weeks. Allowing three weeks more before 
my letter reached me, at the unfrequented point 
where we would probably be stationed, I con¬ 
cluded two months to be the time by which I 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


65 


might reasonably expect to hear from home. 
Before I turned in for the night, I had gone 
through my calculation many times, as people 
in such circumstances always do; and by dint 
of reasoning to myself, that, at the worst, 
it would not be very long before I should 
hear from my father, I felt more ease of mind 
than I had yet experienced. 

Matters appeared to be taking a satisfactory 
turn, and the captain's view of my father's 
action in my regard had had so happy an effect, 
that I resolved to give way no longer to despon¬ 
dency. 

When day dawned, our deck was at once astir 
with preparation for departure. The captain 
seemed grieved to be obliged to let me go, 
although he tried to be cheerful, and to give me 
courage. I was very loth to leave; so much so, 
that I verily believe, had the choice of going or 
staying been mine, I would not have had resolu¬ 
tion to put in practice the plan which had been 
so well matured. I was scarcely able to eat a 
morsel at breakfast, and, after that meal, I 
silently followed the captain out of the cabin. 
While he was ordering the boat to be lowered, 
I bade good-bye to Charley, and then took my 
seat in the boat, by the captain’s side. In 
six or seven minutes, we were along-side of the 
wrecker. I clambered up the side, after the 


56 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

• 

captain, who gave me a shove hy way of 'intro¬ 
duction to a jolly-looking person who was stand¬ 
ing on the quarter-deck to receive us, and 
whom he accosted as Bowers. ^‘Mind you 
do well by this boy, Bowers," he said, ^^or 
else we two ’ll fall out. He’s my property. 
He’s a sort of a sea-waif that I picked up." 
Capt. Bowers’ appearance was so very good- 
natured, that I at once felt relieved of the only 
doubt that I had had about my change of 
commanders. 

And now," said Captain Edson, “ I have not 
a moment to spare; I must take advantage ol 
this wind. Good-bye, Bowers." He shook the 
captain’s hand heartily, and then taking mine 
in both of his hands, he gave it a wring, and 
just as he released it, clasped it over a hard 
little package, which I mechanically clutched. 

Good-bye, boy," he said, as he turned to go. 
*^It will all come right. So far, so good." By 
the time that he had finished his last sentence, he 
was in the boat, and pulling rapidly away. 

I made a faint attempt at twirling my hat 
around my head, in token of farewell, but I 
failed miserably. I felt that I had lost a dear 
friend; as in truth I had, for I never saw 
him again. A few months afterwards he died 
of yellow fever. 


OE FEED EANSOM. 67 

‘^What did Captain Edson say your name 
was,” inquired a voice at my ear ? 

“ Fred Eansom, sir,” I replied, starting and 
letting fall the paper which Captain Edson had 
left in my hand. 

You Ve dropped something,” said Captain 
Bowers; ^^your money, I reckon, by the ring.” 

“ I have n’t got any money, sir,” I said, “ un¬ 
less”—I paused, stooped, and recovered the 
paper, and hastily tore it open. Out rolled fif¬ 
teen dollars in gold coin. 


58 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


CAPTAIN BOWERS GIVES FRED RANSOM A 
VACANT BERTH IN THE CABIN-FRED RAN¬ 
SOM PERFORMS HIS DUTIES ABOARD OF 
THE SCHOONER-THE CAPTAIN GIVES HIM 
LEAVE TO GO ASHORE-THE QUAYS, FISH- 
MARKET, HAVANA LOTTERY,VOLANTES,THE 
PASEO, TOMB OF COLUMBUS, CAPTAIN-GEN¬ 
ERAL OF CUBA. 



HE object of the wrecker’s visit to 
Havana was to procure a supply 
of su^ar for some of the merchants of 
Key west. Happening to be at Key 
West, for the purpose of undergoing 
repairs, which were just finished when 
the merchants desired to replenish 
their stocks of sugar, the vessel was chartered 
for the voyage to Havana. Her business in 
Havana was not to detain her more than two or 
three days, at the end of which time she could 
in a few hours run over to Key West, which is 
about eighty-two miles distant. 

Captain Bowers turned out to be as good- 
natured as his appearance indicated. As Cap¬ 
tain Edson had predicted, I was certainly in 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


69 


luck ; for, besides having a most desirable com¬ 
mander, I was accommodated aboard the vessel, 
as I believe cabin-boy never was before. There 
was no bunk forward to spare, and this fact 
gave the captain a plausible excuse for granting 
me permission to occupy one of the vacant 
berths in the cabin. How Captain Bowers came 
to be guilty of this queer proceeding will be 
best explained by tlie following conversation 
which ensued between us, immediately after I 
had gathered up the fugitive coin which had 
dispersed in as many directions as there were 
pieces. 

‘'Fred,” said the captain, “my friend, Cap¬ 
tain Edson, has told me all about your situation, 
and appealed to me to do the best I can for you. 
I intend to do that, if you deserve it. Whether 
you do, or not, is yet to be tested. Meantime 
I '11 take it for granted, and commence by doing 
the best I can for you. You 've been carefully 
brought up, and would n’t find it very pleasant 
to stay forward with the crew, who are good 
fellows enough, but rather rough, and not 
exactly the kind of people you've been used to 
living with. So, although I never heard of a 
cabin-boy’s shipping in the cabin, as it happens 
my friend takes an interest in you, and I'm dis¬ 
posed to do the same, now I know your story, 
why you can have a berth in the cabin, and live 


60 


THE YOUNG WRECKEE, 


aboard the schooner until you can get word from 
your father. You ’ll have to serve the cabin, just 
like any other cabin-boy, and lend a hand any¬ 
where you ’re needed; but I think you ’re pretty 
well off for a chap who has got into such a scrape. 

Indeed, I am, captain,” I replied, and I am 
very much obliged to you for your kindness to 
me, and I ’ll do the best I can to deserve it.” 
('riiis promise, let me here say, I religiously 
observed.) 

Well, see that you do, and it ’ll be the best 
thanks that you can give me,” rejoined the cap¬ 
tain. Now I ’ve got through with what I had 
to say, and I’m going ashore on business. 
What are you going to do with yourself? 

I answered that I supposed I would begin my 
duties immediately. 

“ All right,” said the captain,'' I'm glad to see 
that you realize your position. But after you 
get things set to rights, suppose you go ashore, 
and buy some clothes, for Captain Edson told 
me you had n’t a stitch except what you’ve got 
on your back. Hold ! I guess you’d better wait 
for that, until we arrive at Key West. This is 
an awfully dear place, and your money would n’t 
go very far. However, if you ’re inclined, you 
can go ashore to-morrow, and see the sights. 
I guess it will take you pretty much all day to- 
day, to get things fixed about the cabin, as it 
has n’t been cleared up this long time.” 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


61 


A few minutes afterwards, the captain was off 
for shore, and I spent the whole day in setting 
things to rights, cleaning out the lockers, throw¬ 
ing accumulated rubbish overboard, and wash¬ 
ing and putting away that portion of the cabin 
crockery, which, not having been in daily use, 
was as dusty as it ever could have been when 
lying in the china shop. These operations, with 
sweeping, scrubbing paint, rehanging the cur¬ 
tains of the cabin windoVs and berths, occupied 
me during the whole day, and I had barely 
finished by evening, when the captain returned, 
and congratulated me upon the favorable change 
effected by my exertions. 

The next morning, after I had served the cap¬ 
tain’s breakfast, there was nothing for me to do, 
so, as he was again going ashore to spend the 
day, he took me in his gig, and landed me, with 
full permission to devote my time to seeing 
Havana. Telling me that if I would return 
to the same place at six o’clock in the eve¬ 
ning, he would then be going off to the vessel, he 
bade me good-morning, and left me standing on 
the quay. 

The quay was not formed of a number of pro¬ 
jecting wharves or piers, but consisted of a long 
line of wharf, following the outline of the shore 
of the harbor. Although small, it presented 
the same general appearance as the levees 


62 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

which, some years afterwards, I saw on the 
Mississippi, at New Orleans. This quay, at the 
time of which I speak, was planked wholly, or 
in great part, with huge timbers of mahogany. 
These have been since replaced by a less val¬ 
uable wood; but you must not suppose that 
mahogany is as dear a wood in Cuba as it is 
in the United States, for it grows in the West 
Indies. 

Besides the vessels l^ing at anchor in the 
harbor, among which were some Spanish men- 
of-war, numerous small craft lay alongside of 
the quay. These, from the limited amount of 
accommodations afforded by a single wharf-line, 
were chiefly moored ‘^end-on” to the quay. 
Numerous little boats, with awnings over the 
stern, lay along shore, in quite a tier, awaiting 
their chance of a fare. Others, which had 
been so fortunate as to find one, plied busily 
about the harbor. 

I saw the fish-market of Havana, which is 
one of the finest in the world. The sale of fish 
was a monopoly enjoyed by an individual who 
had matters pretty much his own way, as far 
as the fishermen were concerned; for he paid a 
stated price for fish of five pounds in weight, 
but if they were less than five pounds, he exact¬ 
ed four or five fish, and paid no more. Never¬ 
theless, owing to the abundance of fish in those 


OR FRED RA.NSOM. 


63 


waters, catching them proved profitable enough 
to induce men to supply the market. 

In so warm a climate, fishing is a somewhat 
precarious business; for a cargo is sometimes 
lost when a vessel is becalmed for many hours. 
That, however, is not of frequent occurrence. 
The cause of the loss of the fish, at such a 
time, is that they then lack a fresh supply of 
water. When the fishing - smacks roll and 
plunge in a seaway, the water is constantly 
changing. These vessels are built with a large 
compartment, which is called the well. The well 
is supplied with water, by means of holes bored 
through the vessels bottom. When such a vessel 
is under way, or even when she is rocking at 
anchor, the water in the well is constantly 
changing; but when there is no motion, the 
supply ceases, and the fish sicken and die. Fish 
are extremely delicate in their nature, and the 
fishermen are obliged to watch and remove any 
which may show symptoms of being sick; other¬ 
wise, the whole cargo may become infected. 
The operation of removal is generally performed 
by boys, who dive into the well. 

Some of the things which I have mentioned, 
and others which I still have to tell, I did not 
.earn on shore, but gathered from Captain 
Bowers, or later experience of my own. 

After I had rambled about the quay for some 


64 


THE YOUNG WRECHEK, 


time, and seen every thing there, I concluded 
to go into the city. 

The first place that I visited was the tomb 
of Columbus, in the cathedral. The city 
seemed to me a most curious place. The 
houses are often painted blue or yellow; and 
they have bars at the windows, so that the first 
street into which I rambled, reminded me for all 
the world of a menagerie. The houses gen¬ 
erally had large portes-cochere, which are car¬ 
riage ways passing through the face of a build¬ 
ing. The houses are constructed around the 
sides of quadrangles, thus enclosing a court-yard 
in the centre. This is the usual mode of build¬ 
ing in hot climates; for it ensures coolness, 
especially in the court-yards, which are often 
planted as gardens, and embellished with foun¬ 
tains. 

By this time, the sun had got pretty high, 
and I stopped under the shade of a massive 
porte-cochere, and looked out upon the busy 
streets. The pavements are of stone, and so 
narrow, that it is in vain for pedestrians to at¬ 
tempt, to confine their steps to those walks. 
Had they existed in Europe at a period when 
men were apt to take the wall and make it a 
point of honor not to budge an inch, the adult 
male popukition would have been exterminated. 

I had read Don Quixote, and some of the 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


65 


Bights that I saw, reminded me very much of 
the scenes described in the adventures of that 
renowned knight. I saw mules carrying water 
in casks suspended at their sides. Others car¬ 
ried loads of green fodder, which covered them 
80 completely, that nothing was visible except 
their tiny hoofs stepping daintily along. Others, 
again, bore panniers of oranges. I stopped the 
owner of one of these, and bought some of his 
fruit. I could not speak Spanish, but I held 
out ten cents that the captain had given me as 
part of the change for one of my gold pieces, 
and made a sign towards the oranges. I have 
since found that money is a language which is 
universally understood and which, more than 
any other, appeals to the human heart. I ex¬ 
pected to get only a couple of oranges, but I 
received ten and had not pockets enough in 
which to stow them. So I disposed of seven 
about my person, deposited two on the ground 
of my shady nook, and commenced operations 
on another. Many as I received, I suppose that 
I must have paid the usual penalty of a 
foreigner—that of being cheated. 

I sucked away very complacently at my 
oranges, and, at the same time, continued to 
take in all that was going on in the street. 
The volantes, or carriages, are very peculiar. 
They are like great gigs. They have no 
€* 


60 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

springs, but the absence of springs is compen¬ 
sated for by the position of tbe body of the 
vehicle, which, being placed forward of the 
axle-tree, and resting on the shafts, receives 
the benefit of their elasticity. These volantes 
are generally drawn by one horse, bestridden 
by a negro in top-boots. They hold two per¬ 
sons comfortably, but they are often occupied 
by three. Private volantes sometimes have an 
extra horse attached by traces, which meet at 
a pintle that is inserted in an eye placed on the 
outside of one of the shafts. Even with two 
persons,—what with the big gig-top and the 
people inside of it, and the negro on the 
horse,—the horse seems to be the smallest part 
of the turnout. He is constantly reminded 
of his duty by lashings, which his driver freely 
bestows. In truth, I never saw horses and 
mules so unmercifully treated as they are in 
Havana. Of course it is not among the horses 
belonging to private carriages that this mal¬ 
treatment occurs. 

Seeing so many of these vehicles pass, I came 
at last to examine one which stood in the cor¬ 
ner, just in the rear of m'y sheltering porte- 
cochere. It was a very elaborate one, and 
seemed to be very much out of place; for it 
was carelessly backed up on a pile of rubbish, 
and the harness was thrown over the dasher, 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


67 


and trailed in the dust. I afterwards ascer¬ 
tained that these circumstances are not at all 
unusual in Havana, where, even in handsome 
establishments, there is generally manifest a 
thorough absence of what we call ^‘keeping.” 
I afterwards learned from Captain Bowers, that 
many volantes were made in the United States, 
expressly for the Havana market. I confess 
that on hearing this, my interest in them was 
considerably lessened. People are so constitu¬ 
ted, that remoteness strangely affects the ima¬ 
gination. In a foreign land, they gaze with 
deep interest at objects on which, at home, they 
might perhaps bestow a passing glance. I re¬ 
collect that once when, years after the adven¬ 
tures that I am now recounting, I visited Table 
Eock, in South Carolina, I saw an old woman 
who lived at the foot of it, and marvelled in 
my presence why people came so far to clamber 
to its giddy height. From girlhood she had 
lived there, but never once thought of setting 
foot to its ascent. 

It was dreadfully hot by the time that I left 
the shade of the porte-cochere, having deter¬ 
mined to see more of the city, as I had only 
a few hours left, and we were to sail on the 
following day. I wandered about, stopping 
every now and then to take shelter in some 


C8 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

nook, and recruit my energies by partaking of 
another orange. 

I was so lucky as to come across the drawing 
of the famous Havana lottery. This is an in¬ 
stitution carried on by the Government, and as 
fairly conducted as it is possible to be; but, like 
all lotteries, it does not benefit the buyers of 
tickets as much as it does the proprietors of the 
concern. Individuals occasionally draw large 
sums, but dearly do they pay for their success, 
by imbibing the spirit of gambling, which gen¬ 
erally leads them to risk and lose all and more 
than all that they have gained. 

The monthly drawing of the lottery was 
conducted with great ceremony. It is the 
event upon which the hopes of thousands are 
centred, and there is always a large crowd in 
attendance. All the saints in the calendar are 
dinned with applications for a lucky number. 
The amount of injury effected by this lottery 
is incalculable. The gambling it begets and 
encourages, the petty thefts suggested by a 
desire to buy tickets, the misdirection of 
thought and energy, in the hope of some lucky 
stroke, are all such evils as no good Govern¬ 
ment would visit upon its people. And the 
Government of Spain is not good. It is un¬ 
scrupulous. If it can contribute to its coffers, 
whatmatters a little vice among its subjects! 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


.69 


As evening approached, I followed the cur¬ 
rent of people, which seemed to be tending in 
a certain direction from the quarter of the city 
in which I then happened to find myself, and 
I came to the Paseo, or drive, upon which there 
was a great concourse of carriages and pedes¬ 
trians, and a fine military band playing. Here 
is the palace of the Governor of Cuba, who 
is called the Captain-General. His is a distin¬ 
guished post, with large emoluments .in salary 
and perquisites of office. In fact, the position 
is that of viceroy, and it is always held by 
Spain s most powerful nobleman. 

This drive, promenade, and music are the 
every-day amusements of the Habanese. I did 
not remain very long to enjoy the display, for 
I observed that the sun was going down rapidly. 
I took my departure, and hurried back to the 
quay, following the streets which I imagined 
would lead me to the spot at which I had 
landed in the morning. I did not hit it exactly, 
but after a little search, I discovered it, and 
seated myself on a pile of boxes to await the 
captain’s arrival. In a few minutes he ap¬ 
peared, and made a signal to the schooner to 
send the boat ashore. While the boat was 
pulling in, the captain inquired kindly of mo 
how I had managed to worry through my long 


70 THE YOUNa WRECKER, 

day asliore. I gave him a brief sketch of my 
doings, at which he laughed, and said, 

Who but a boy could have been contented 
to wander, for pleasure, about the streets of a 
city, so hot that the chief occupation of the 
inhabitants is to try to keep cool. And where 
did you get dinner, pray ?” 

I replied that I had bought so many oranges 
for ten cents, that I could not have eaten any 
thing more, if I had tried. At this he laughed 
again. In a few minutes the boat reached the 
quay. The captain motioned me to get aboard. 
He jumped in after me, and we shoved off 
for the schooner. 


an FRED RANSOM. 


71 




THE FLYING CLOUD SAILS FROM HAVANA-THE 
VESSEL-THE CREW-THE COOK-THE NEW¬ 
FOUNDLAND DOG, JACK. 



UT into tlie waters of the deep 
blue Gulf we sailed, as the rising 
sun threw a golden pathway over 
the expanse of sea. The morning 
was beautiful, and as the schooner 
dipped merrily into the waves, and 
sped away on her course, the buoy¬ 
ant movement, balmy air, clear sky, and lovely 
scene, dissipated the last vestige of melancholy 
with which I had been oppressed. I felt that I 
had done all that lay in my power. The full 
consciousness of this renewed my determination 
of the previous evening, to cast away all vain 
misgivings, and put my trust in Providence. 
Prom that hour forward, I was myself again. 

The shores near Havana are very abrupt; for 
within a few yards of the stagnant-looking wa- 



72 THE YOUNG V/RECKER, 

ter of the harbor, the schooner was dancing 
amid the deep blue waves. 

I was not disappointed in the Flying Cloud, 
She was a trim-looking craft, rather long for 
her beam, and with quite low bulwarks. She 
had that easy movement which one accustomed 
to vessels can recognize as indicating a good 
sea-boat, as readily as an accomplished ridei 
can judge, by the first few paces of his horse, 
whether it possesses the elasticity fitting it for 
the saddle, or the jolting gait that should con¬ 
sign it to the cart. 

Our crew consisted of eight men. Ona was 
an Englishman, one an Irishman, and another 
a Norwegian. The five others were Conchs 
from Key West. In reference to the Conchs 
of Key West, I shall, hereafter, have something 
to say. 

I must not forget to mention our black cook, 
Hannibal. A most important personage every¬ 
where is a cook, white or black, and in no place 
more important than on board ship. Even in 
the worst pro-slavery times, I never saw a black 
sea-cook that was not thought to have rights 
which white men were bound to respect, and, 
in truth, which they were very anxious to 
respect. 

A cook at sea has it in his power to make 
the men very comfortable, or very uncomfort- 


OR FRED RANSOM, 


73 


able. In either case, whether too favorably dis¬ 
posed to them, for the interest of the ship’s 
stores, or inclined to annoy them, by bad cook¬ 
ery or short allowance, he can safely follow 
his own devices in a thousand ways so covert 
as to escape detection, while the effect of the 
whole is clearly apparent. For instance, how 
can the fact be fixed thsit the doctor ” deliber¬ 
ately burned the coffee, instead of its condition 
being owing, as he states, to the men’s calling 
him at an inopportune moment to lend a hand 
somewhere. Or, how can it be proved that the 
salty and nauseous flavor of the pea-soup was 
not caused by some one’s meddling with his 
bucket of fresh water, and leaving it filled with 
salt water; when, while all hands were engaged, 
the '^doctor” had secretly dipped the water 
out of the sea, and filled the soup-kettle to the 
brim. 

We had another blackey on board, but he 
belonged aft, although he did not confine him¬ 
self to that portion of the vessel. He was a 
fine Newfoundland dog, the finest that I ever 
saw. He was not one of those unwieldy beasts 
which pass their existence in acquiring excessive 
fat, but a great rollicking fellow, all animation 
and playfulness. He was a noble brute-—no, 
not a brute! 

7 


74 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


--the poor dog, in life the firmest friend, 

The first to welcome, foremost to defend. 

Whose honest heart is still his master’s own, 
Who labors, fights, lives, breathes for him alone. 
Unhonored falls, unnoticed all his worth. 

Denied in heaven the soul he had on earth: 
While man, vain insect! hopes to be forgiven, 
And claims himself a sole, exclusive heaven.”* 


A1 though Jack, as I said, belonged aft, he 
was not allowed to make use of the cabin, 
unless in case of storm. So, even at night, he 
remained on deck, taking up his station by- 
lying across the door which was at the head of 
the companion-way, as it is called, that is the 
staircase leading to the cabin. The sagacious 
animal knew the occasion upon which he was 
not to be considered an intruder, and when it 
rained, he tumbled down the steep stairway, 
and ensconced himself in a corner, with an 
air of much self-possession and of being quite 
at home. 

The captain was as kind as possible *to me, 
but his manner, after our first interview, and 
my day’s liberty on shore, was less demonstra¬ 
tive : as if he felt that the discipline of the ves¬ 
sel required me to know and keep my place. 

* Byron’s ” Inscription on the monument of a New¬ 
foundland dog ” The dog ” Boatswain ” died, and was 
buried at Newstead Abbey, at which place the monument 
may still be seen. 



OR FEED RANSOM. 7f. 

As I was not destitute of tact, I took the hint, 
and kept aloof. Boy as 1 was, I saw quite 
clearly that my position was a very strange one, 
and on observing the captain’s manner to me, I 
determined to avoid all that might savor of 
presumption. I was therefore careful not to 
approach him, unless he addressed me. 

Of course, I did not eat with the captain, for, 
being the cabin-boy, I was obliged to serve his 
meals. I was not required to wait, but to be 
within call, and after the captain had finished, I 
sat down at the same table. It was considerate 
in him not to send me forward to eat with the 
men, as well as to allow me to sleep elsewhere. 

It was the 20th day of October when we left 
Havana. We had sailed from New York on 
the 26th of September, and although, during 
part of the voyage to Havana, we were favored 
with a fair wind, the light, baffling winds of the 
first few days had prevented our making much 
way, so that the voyage to Havana was not a 
quick one. 

The wind was now ahead, but we had so 
short a trip to make, that unless we were be¬ 
calmed, it could not, even with a head-wind, 
consume more than two days. 


76 


THE YOUNG WBECKER, 


"stzzi. 


THE FLYING CLOUD ANCHORS OFF THE MAR- 
QUESAS-A PARTY FROM THE SCHOONER 
GO ASHORE - THE SCENERY OF THE KEYS 
AND INNER BAY-THE GRAINING-ONE OF THE 
PARTY DEVOURED BY A SHARK. 



N the evening of the second day af¬ 
ter sailing from Havana, we arrived 
off the Marquesas, and came to an¬ 
chor for the night, intending to run 
into Key West on the following 
morning. The Marquesas Keys are 
a group of small islands lying to 
the westward of Key West. They are the 
westernmost group of Keys, except the Tortugas. 
The group consists of numerous islands, with 
only slight intervals between them, sweeping 
around in a gradual curve, thus enclosing a 
laud-locked and shallow bay, studded with little 
tufts of islands rising out of its shallow waters. 
Beneath these waters, narrow and deep channels 
run in various directions, and connect with the 
straits separating the encircling land. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


77 


When day broke we found ourselves be¬ 
calmed. We were only about fifteen miles from 
Key West, and lying in the Eeef-Channel. As 
the island of Key West was indistinctly visible 
although the town of Key West could not be 
discerned, we felt as if we had almost arrived 
at our destination. Meanwhile, there were 
no signs of a breeze, and as it would not 
probably rise until the sun became consid¬ 
erably higher, three of the men, about an hour 
after daylight, came aft, and asked the captain 
for the use of the schooner’s boat, for the pur¬ 
pose of going ashore and having some sport. 
The captain, after a glance around the ho¬ 
rizon, gave the men permission to go, cautioning 
them to be on the lookout, and return the very 
moment that the breeze sprang up. Turning to 
me, he said. 

How would you like to go ? I shall not 
need you, now that I've had breakfast.” 

I was very glad to receive permission, and 
after requesting and obtaining leave to 
take Jack, who had become very sociable with 
me,' I started with the party, which was com¬ 
posed of the Englishman, the Norwegian, and 
one of the Conchs. When we came within 
fifty yards of the shore, Jack jumped over^ 
board, despite our endeavors to hold him, and 
swa,m for the beach. The men wei e afraid that 
7 * 


78 THE YOUNG WRECEER, 

he might be devoured by the sharks, but he 
reached the shore in safety, and long before we 
had landed, he was tearing up and down the 
beach, thrusting’ his muzzle into the water along 
the edge, and rending the air with barks and 
howls of delight. The wildest thing in nature 
is a dog just released from ship-board, and 
landed on a long, smooth beach. Poor Jack 
was frantic with joy, and it was some minutes 
after we had landed, before he sobered down 
into a mood of quiet enjoyment, in which he 
gambolled ponderously around us, while, with 
panting sides and protruding tongue, he re¬ 
gained his exhausted breath. 

Near the mouth of one of the straits which 
divide the Keys, we fastened our boat, by its 
painter, to a stake of drift wood thrust into the 
beach. We then strolled off along the outside 
shore to the end of the Key on which we had 
landed, and came back to our starting-point. 

Not a breath of air was stirring yet, as we 
distinctly perceived by a glance at the schooner’s 
pennant, which trailed down the main-mast, 
without the slightest flutter. 

What do you say, hojs, to a trip inside of 
the Keys ?” inquired the Conch, who formed one 
of the party. “We can see the schooner’s top¬ 
masts over the trees, and if a breeze springs 
up, we ’ll be out and aboard in a jiffy. There ’a 


OK FRED RANSOM. 


79 


always lots of fish feeding inside, and I Ve 
brought the grains along, and we may come 
across something.” 

I’m agreeable, for one,” answered Bill Bug¬ 
gies, the Englishman. “What do you expect 
to strike ?” 

“ Oh! any thing we come across, that's fit to 
eat,” said the Conch, whose name was John 
Linden. “ Hurry up, we may not have more 
than a few minutes longer on shore. The wind 
scarcely ever keeps down beyond nine o’clock, 
and it’s eight now. 

As Buggies disengaged the knot of the 
painter from the stake around which it passed, 
we jumped into the boat, which he ^oved 
astern, and heading her bow towards the inlet, 
shot her fairly into it, and springing into the 
stern-sheets as she passed, he took the tiller, 
and the two other men *put out the oars. 

The channel leading. into the bay between 
these two Keys was quite deep, and not more 
than fifty yards in width. The men had not 
rowed more than as many yards, before the 
boat passed the slender line of Keys which en¬ 
closed the bay, and we found ourselves in the 
land-locked waters which I have described. 

With the exception of the channels which tra¬ 
versed the bay in several directions, the water 
waa evidently very shoal. Silence reigned 


80 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


supreme. Except, at intervals, tlie discordant 
cry of some wild bird, and the noise made by our 
party, every thing was still. These occasional 
noises only served to heighten the effect, as an 
indifferent light is said to render darkness visi¬ 
ble. So completely shut in from the ocean was 
this little lake, that, even in a gale, its surface 
must have been all but unruffled. 

Hollo!” exclaimed John Linden, as he 
looked over his shoulder, while he tugged away 
at the bow-oar, “I see a rippling, way ahead; 
who’s to get the grains ready and strike ?” 

** You, I suppose, you 're the best hand at 
that,” replied Buggies. ^‘Who ever heard of 
any body's using the grains when there's a 
Conch aboard ?” 

All right, but I can't strike and row too. 
What kind of a hand are you at an oar, Fred?” 
said he, addressing me. Can you pull ?” 

never tried, I said, but I'm‘willing,” I 
added, “ to do my best.” 

Never tried, but you think you can I” 
said Buggies, grinning. “That's like the Irish¬ 
man and the fiddle. He had n't ever tried to 
play, so he did n't know but he could.” 

“ It's lucky Brady is aboard the schooner, 
or you'd have a spat with him about making 
jokes on Irishmen,” observed Linden. “ Do n't 
waste any more time with your chaff. You 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


81 


come and take my oar, for we’re gaining on 
those fish, whatever they are. You can let the 
youngster steer. You can steer, I suppose, 
can’t you ?” said he, again addressing me. 

Being more confident of my steering powers 
than of my rowing ones, as green-hands 
about a boat usually are, I said that I could 
fiteer. 

Well,” said Linden, “ there’s no help for it; 
we want a good strong oar, so you take mine. 
Bill, and let him take the helm. I do n’t intend 
to trust much to your steering, though, Fred. 
Jest recollect this, when I say starboaid,—star¬ 
board, keep putting your helm more and more 
down that way, to your right, and when I say 
port,—port, keep putting it more and more 
t’ other way.” 

Bill Buggies stepped over a couple of 
thwarts, and took the oar which the Conch 
relinquished, and the latter pulled out his 
grains and adjusted them on the end of a pole. 
Meanwhile, I kept repeating to myself, starboard 
goes this way, port goes that way; for although 
by the time I had reached Havana, I considered 
that I was able to steer pretty well, I felt some¬ 
what doubtful when I found the duty suddenly 
devolve upon me, with doubts clearly expressed 
as to my ability. 

The grains are of iron, consisting of. a socket 


82 THB YOUNG WEECKER, 

joining a two-pronged fork with barbed points. 
A stout line, about the size of that generally 
used for hanging out clothes to dry, is made 
fast at the junction of the socket and prongs. 
The end of a pole of about twelve feet in length 
is then placed in the socket, and the line is led 
up along it, and kept taut, so as to hold the 
grains securely in position. The other end of 
the line is made fast in the bow of the boat, and 
the slack coiled all ready to pay out as rapidly 
as required. The man who strikes, stands in 
the bow, and poises the pole in both hands, and, 
if necessary, throws it several yards with un¬ 
erring precision. 

By the time that the arrangements for 
striking were completed, we were within a hun¬ 
dred yards of the fish which had attracted our 
attention. They were a great school of mullet. 
They were fiashing . through the water, and 
leaping out of it by hui\dreds, as if terrified by 
some enemy. 

'^Starboard,” cried Linden, starboard, star¬ 
board, more yet,—hard a-starboard; lets take 
that channel. Now steer for that tall tree on 
the little island ahead. By gracious, boys, I 
see what’s the matter with them mullet; it’s 
the biggest kind of a white-shark fishing for 
them, as I’m a sinner.” 

‘‘ Can’t y')u strike him,” I eagerly exclaimed. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


83 


** Strike him,” said Linden, why we have 
g(it a line that would n’t hold him easier than a 
stran’ o’ silk. He’s off anyhow. He’s taken 
that other channel. Jest look at them mullet! 
By gracious, he’s taking in provisions for a 
month. It seems to me that we’d better he 
thinking of going back, so as to be within hail. 
If the wind should spring up, the captain will 
want to be off in less than no time. Head 
your boat the other way, Fred; you can see 
the channel plain enough between the mud-flats 
under water.” 

I did as I was told, and the boat had barely 
reversed her course, when I observed a motion 
in the water about fifty yards ahead. 

There’s something,” I shouted to the Conch, 
who was just taking his grains off the pole. 

Sure enough, so there is,” he replied, re¬ 
adjusting the gi'ains, and resuming his station. 

Confound it, it s nothing but a big saw-fish !” 

I stood up in the stern-sheets, and I could see 
a huge animal slowly swimming along in the 
same direction as the one which we were pur¬ 
suing. It appeared so sluggish in its move¬ 
ments, that I felt sure of our being able to 
capture it, so I begged Linden to give us some 
sport. He said that we would lose our 
grains if we attempted to strike it. But I was 
too much excited to be reasonable. I had 


84 


THE YOUNa WHECHER 


never seen a fish harpooned, and I felt sure, too, 
that the Conch did not really think that we 
would lose our grains, but did not wish to 
strike the fish, because it was unfit to eat. 

‘‘Do strike it,” I urged. “If you lose the 
grains, I hi get you another pair when we ar¬ 
rive at Ivey West.” 

“Well! here goes,” he said, and with that 
he plunged the grains into the fish, which, by 
that time, was almost under the bow of our 
boat. “Port! port!” he shouted, as the line 
spun out, “ pull men, and let’s get more way 
on the boat.” 

The line whizzed out like lightning, and the 
men gave way with a will. Just as the full 
extent of the line paid out, jerk it went, as if 
it would break, and the boat rushed rapidly 
through the water. 

“ Steady, Fred,” shouted the Conch; “keep 
her head with the line. If you keep her off, 
it ’ll part. 

“ Aye! aye!” said I, feeling quite nautical, 
and using a seaman’s answer to correspond with 
my dignity as steersman. 

The boat rushed along v/ith surprising ve¬ 
locity, the water boiling around her bow. I 
stood up for a better view. I saw that the 
line was very tense. Now and then, near the 
bow, it whipped on the surface of tlie water 


OR FRED RANSOM. Su 

and then clove through it, indicating that the 
fish swam at various depths. Suddenly the 
Conch shouted in a hurried manner, 

“Keep away from the starboard bank. 
There's a channel on the starboard side, lead¬ 
ing right off our course.” 

Without comprehending why I was ordered 
to do so, I put the tiller hard a-starboard, so as 
to keep over towards the bank on our port bow. 
I had hardly had time to shift the helm, when 
the boat careened, and “fetched up” on the 
mud-flat, which was only about two feet under 
water. Over it she went for ten or fifteen 
yards, stirring up the mud, and spirting the 
water all over us. Suddenly snap went the 
line, and the boat stopped plumb. I had 
scarcely breath to ejaculate, 

“ Is the line broken ?” 

“Parted, sure enough !” said Linden. We Ve 
lost our grains. A line of that size can't hold 
all creation. It was stronger though than I 
thought for. If it had n't been the saw-fish 
took that channel, and hauled us on the bank, 
the line would n't have parted after all.” 

When the boat stopped, the men sprang to 
their feet, and laughed and shouted at the 
mishap, while around about the startled sea¬ 
birds wheeled with shriller cry, and winged 
their flight farther from the boisterous merri- 
8 


86 


THE YOUNG WRECHEE, 


ment. After many relapses into fita of laugh¬ 
ter, the men at last regained their sobriety. 

‘'Better luck next timef’ said Linden, and 
with that he commenced with his oar to shove 
the boat off into the channel, adding, “but you 
need a harpoon, and a heavier line for that 
sort of work. When we get up the Beef, I ’ll 
show you some sport.” 

The cause of our losing the fish was that it 
suddenly entered another channel, which ran 
off nearly at a right angle with the course 
which we were steering. The consequence was, 
that as the boat had some scope of line out, the 
fish was well up the new channel while we were 
still in the old one. So instead of being able 
to enter the mouth of the former, we were for¬ 
cibly dragged by a short cut on top of the bank 
which divided the channels. Here the line, 
which had scarcely been able to bear the strain 
when the boat was in deep water, broke, and she 
rested on top of the bank, in shallow water in 
which she was not quite afloat. 

Afloat once more in the main channel which 
we had left, the men resumed their oars, and, 
with now and then a laugh and a sally of fun, 
headed the boat again towards the inlet. 
When we reached the inlet, we saw that out¬ 
side there was a dead calm, and not a soul 
stirring on the deck of the schooner. 


















































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OR FRED RANSOM. 


87 


** I move we wait here/' suggested Bill Bug¬ 
gies. “We re not wanted aboard, and what’s 
the use of going off until we 're obliged to ?” 

Nobody gainsaying this proposition, we de¬ 
termined to wait until the wind came up, or the 
captain made a signal to us. The painter was 
once more passed over the stake on the beach, 
and we amused ourselves by rambling off into 
the mangroves. We certainly had not been 
absent more than ten minutes, when, on emerg¬ 
ing from the woods to return towards the boat, 
we saw that she-was adrift. On reaching the 
stake, we found that it must have become 
loosened by using it for mooring the boat. The 
eddy caused by the tide's flowing into the inlet, 
had carried the boat out from shore, from 
which, by tugging, she must have withdrawn 
the stake, and drifted off still farther. She 
was now about fifty yards from shore. 

“ By gracious, but the captain will be mad/' 
said Bill Buggies. “Have any of you got a 
line about you ? JS you have, I ’ll put a rock 
on it, and throw it aboard the boat and haul 
her in.” 

No one had a string over a yard long, and 
there we stood looking at the boat floating 
q^uietly out of reach. 

“ Standing here doing nothing won’t fetch 


88 THE YOUNG WHETKER, 

her ashore, observed the Norwegian. I ’B 
strip and swim for her.’^ 

“ No you won ’t” answered Linden. “ Are 
you fool enough to go in swimming off one of 
these inlets, where sharks are coming in and 
going out, 'specially when the tide's rising ? 
Did n’t I say that was a white - shark I saw in 
the bay ?” 

Well, suppose it was,” replied the Norwe¬ 
gian, I’m a good swimmer, and I have n’t got 
above fifty yards to swim, and—you can’t keep 
me now, here goes, clothes and all.” 

With that, before any one could frustrate his 
intention, he sprang into the water, and struck 
out for the boat. He was, as he had said, a 
good swimmer, and he had not proceeded more 
than half the distance to the boat, when we 
cheered him. As we did so, a dull splash 
sounded in the inlet beside us. Looking 
in that direction, we saw the dorsal fin and part 
of the back of a great white-shark. Startled 
at our voices, it had given a sudden flirt in the 
water, and now held on its course straight out 
of the inlet. 

Paralyzed for a moment, no one spoke. Then 
every one shouted. Shark! shark! shark 1 
Swim for your life! 

The Norwegian gave one glance over his 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


89 


slioulder, and struck out frantically for the boat. 
We held ourh)reath in suspense. 

At that instant, the huge fish seemed anima¬ 
ted with a sudden perception. Instantaneously 
its dorsal fin disappeared below the surface of 
the water. 

We glanced at the swimmer and the boat. 
The Norwegian’s efforts were nerved with des¬ 
peration. He was within six yards of the boat. 
In a moment more, his hands were grasping her 
gunwale. But suddenly throwing up his arms, 
he fell backward and submerged in the sea. A 
thrill of horror ran through us. The boat 
rocked with the tumultuous agitation of the 
waters on which she floated. Our blanched faces 
turned on each other, as, with one accord, we 
exclaimed. My Godl 


90 


THE YOUNQ WEECKER, 


THE DISCOURSE OF BILL RUGGLES-THE AN¬ 
NOUNCEMENT OF THE NORWEGIAN’S FATE 
TO THE CAPTAIN AND CREW-THEIR HORROR 
-THE CAPTAIN’S SERMON-THE BURIAL SER- 
VICE-THE SCHOONER SAILS. 



'^AY I be henceforth spared the 
horror of a sight like that! Yet 
we saw nothing but a disappeai- 
ance, save, as the boat presently 
swung within the influence of the 
current flowing into the in^et, and 
swept near us, we noted, with a 
shudder, that the water on which she floated 
was tinged with crimson. 

We scarcely spoke for some minutes. Me¬ 
chanically, Bill Buggies grappled the boat with 
a stick, as she passed close to the beach on our 
side of the inlet, and then sat down on the 
ground, and Linden and I sat down beside him. 

At last Buggies spoke: 

“Well, shipmates,” said he, “IVe been fol¬ 
lowing the sea this many-a-day, but I don’t 




OR FRED RANSOM. 


91 


know as I ever felt quite so cut up as I do this 
here minute. I Ve seen men drownded, and 
some smashed by falling from aloft, and mum- 
moxed up all sorts of ways, but dash me if this 
don’t go ahead.” Here he wiped away a tear 
with the cuff of his coat. “I say,” he resumed, 
“ any thing but that You can’t pound a man’s 
life out any way that he’s afeard of, if he’s a 
lad of spirit, but, dash me, this’s enough to 
scare any one. I’m not much at prayers, but I 
feel as if we ought to do something that way. 
Here’s a poor fellow gone to his last account, 
and not a soul to say something comfortable 
over him, with an Amen to the end of it.” 

If Buggies had not used the most chaste lan¬ 
guage in his discourse, he had at least spoken 
to the hearts of both of his hearers. 

feel jest so,” replied Linden. ^^Why, 
Bill, I Ve lived, boy and man, on the Beef, these 
twenty year^rand I never see that sight afore, 
and I pray God I never may again. It do n’t 
often happen, for all sharks is so thick in some 
places. Then I’ve knowed him ever so long, 
and who’d have thought that was to be the way 
he was to go.” 

We were all so absorbed in our thoughts, 
that we had not observed the wind, which had 
come up and begun to blow quite freshly. 
As Buggies was about to rejoin sometliing in 


92 


THE YOUNG WBECKER, 


answer to Linden, he happened to glance to¬ 
wards the schooner, from which he observed 
that signals were being made for the boat to 
return. 

“ There 1” said Kuggles, ** they Te hailing us, 
and there's a breeze stirring that must have 
been up this half hour ! I did n’t know it. I 
forgot all about the wind, and everything else. 
Come ! aboard with you! The captain does n’t 
know what’s happened yet. I’m thinking he ’ll 
take it as hard as any of us.” 

In a few minutes we were along-side of the 
schooner, and jumped aboard of her, just as the 
captain, who had been walking impatiently up 
and down the quarter-deck, strode forward and 
commenced with, “ Where have you men ”— 
Suddenly observing the expression of our faces, 
and the absence of one of the party, he said 
quickly,—“ What’s happened ? Is the other 
man hurt ?” 

“No, captain,” said Euggles, “he’s out of 
pain. He’s took.” 

“ Took ! Taken ! how taken ?—not by a 
shark ? Heavens ! you do n’t moan that! 

“ Yes, I do, captain,” replied Kuggles, deject¬ 
edly. “ He was took by a shark afore our eyes, 
and we could n’t do nothing to save him, not 
one of us.” 

The crew drew around the group on deck, 


OK FEED KANSOM. 


93 


and echoed the words of Ruggles,—Took by 
a shark !” The captain grasped me by the ai’m, 
and ]ed me away to the cabin. My boy,” said 
he, when he had made me sit down, this is too 
horrible for belief. You can tell me how this 
happened, better than one of the men. Let me 
hear.” 

I narrated to the captain, as clearly as I could, 
how the catastrophe took place, and how 
powerless we were to prevent it, as the man 
had suddenly jumped into the water, before any 
one divined his intention. I concluded by 
mentioning how we were all overwhelmed, 
and what Kuggles had said to us of the horror 
of such a death, when compared with any 
other. 

Yes,” said the captain, when I came to this, 
part, ‘‘Luggles is a rough, but a good-hearted 
fellow. What he said, suggests something to 
me. It would be well to take advantage of this 
opportunity to say a word to the men. Go, 
Fred, and call them aft. I will meet them on 
the quarter-deck.” 

The men quickly assembled, and the captain 
approaching the group, addressed them as 
follows: 

Men: I cannot let this occasion pass with¬ 
out saying a word or two to you. We sailors— 
you, I, and all of us—are apt to trust too much 


94 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

in ourselves. Here’s a lesson of how little 
strength, skill, and courage, may avail. You 
now feel how utterly dependent we are on a 
higher power. Think seriously over this dread¬ 
ful fate, and your thoughts will be better than 
any thing I can say—better than the best ser¬ 
mon. And now, although we cannot bury your 
shipmate with the funeral rites which usually 
attend the dead, we can at least read a portion 
of the religious service.” 

With these words, the captain drew a small 
prayer-book from his coat-pocket, and opening 
it at a place which he had marked, he solemnly 
read the burial service, omitting only those por¬ 
tions which were not applicable to surrounding 
circumstances. 

By the time that the beautiful epistle of St. 
Paul was finished, the auditors were much affect¬ 
ed, and when the captain, reading beyond, 
reached the words of the service: ‘‘ In the midst 
of life we are in death: of whom may we seek 
for succor, but of thee, 0 Lord!” two of the 
sailors fairly gave way, and sobbed aloud. 
Since then, 1 have often heard the service read 
at the grave, but I never heard it read with so 
great effect as then, when the sudden removal 
of a companion, by a fate so horrible, disposed 
all hearts to bow in submission before the Al¬ 
mighty. 


Cl. FREP RANSOM. 


96 


*‘i^ow, men,” added the captain, in a quiet 
voice, after he had given the concluding suppli¬ 
cation, to which all fervently responded, heave 
up the anchor, and let’s get under way and 
leave this plar>).’* 


96 


THK YOUNG WBECKXR, 




rJAPTAIN BOWERS-KEY WEST-THE CONCH3. 



HE scene which was enacted after 
. the occurrence of the terrible event 
detailed in the last two chapters, gave 
me some insight into the character of 
Captain Bowers. Chary of speech with 
regard to his feelings, he was never¬ 
theless imbued with deep religious 
sentiment. 

Although a strict disciplinarian on his vessel, 
he was always kind to the men, and ever ready 
to afford them any pleasure that was reasonable. 
In all my subsequent intercourse with him, I 
found him to be most considerate to every one 
with whom he came in contact. 

To me, immediately after the event at the 
Marquesas, he was particularly kind ; and I as¬ 
cribed his conduct to his belief that a young 
boy must have been terribly shocked by such 
an occurrence. In the course of two or three 
days, he gradually resumed his old manner; 


OR FRED RA.N-SOM. 


97 


and this confirmed me in mv previous belief 
that he did not consider it good for the disci¬ 
pline of the vessel to be seen in familiar inter¬ 
course with a person, who, of necessfty, was 
obliged, in most things, to be one of the crew. 

We reached Key West without any incident 
worth recording, and as soon as we had made 
fast to our wharf, the captain gave me leave to 
go ashore, and provide myself with the clothes 
of which I stood in so great need. These I 
readily found. They were goods made in New 
York. I soon disposed of my slender stock of 
cash, but that did not disturb me, for I had 
obtained all the clothes which I required, and 
of money for other purposes, I had no need, 
having no other wants. 

The town of Key West is situated on the 
northern part of the western end of an island 
which bears the same name. The island is 
situated a little north of latitude 24° 30', and a 
little west of longitude 81° 40' west from 
Greenwich. It is between four and five miles 
in length, and, at the broadest part, is not quite 
a mile in width. It has an elevation of only a 
few feet above the sea. Once, when a terrible 
hurricane prevailed there, the water of the 
ocean was so heaped up on the coast, by the 
violence of the wind, that a large portion of 
Key West was submerged, and the inhabitauU 
9 


98 


THE YOUNG WEECKER, 


were compelled to seek refuge on the highest 
ground, which is about the middle of the island 

The town of Key West was well laid out, and 
contained some very desirable dwellings. The 
houses were generally provided with verandahs, 
similar to those which are usually found in tropi¬ 
cal countries. The chief business of the town 
consisted in fitting out and supplying the wreck¬ 
ers, and all the people were devoted to nothing 
else: if, perhaps, we except a few travelers, who 
came for health, and sometimes left their bones. 
Every thing revolved about that business; and 
every one was an owner of a wrecker, or a cap¬ 
tain of one, or a mate of one, or a sailor on one, 
or some female relation of these. 

Very little food was grown upon the island. 
Back of the town, there were a few patches of 
land under cultivation, but they could not sup¬ 
ply more than a very limited amount of food. 
Groceries came from New York; fruit from 
Havana; beef from the main-land of Florida. 
Fish and turtle abound on the Beef, whence 
Key West receives a surfeit. The most re¬ 
markable edifices in Key West were the lat- 
teen towers — tall, airy-looking structures of 
wood, from whose dizzy heights the Beef could 
be seen for miles. Cocoanut trees grew luxuri¬ 
antly in the gardens, and limes were found in 
plenty. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


99 


Back of the town, and separated from it only 
by a narrow intervening space of open ground, 
the mangrove woods commenced, and covered 
nearly all the Key, although, in places, the 
growth was either diminutive or sparse. And 
now you have a picture of Key West. 

The Conchs, of whom incidental mention has 
already been made, inhabit one portion of the 
island. Their quarter is called Conchtown. 
They were originally Bahamans, who settled in 
Key West, and pursued wrecking for a liveli¬ 
hood. Whether a man is a native Bahaman, 
resident in Key West, or whether he is born in 
Key West, seems to make no difference: he is 
known as a Conch. 

The name of Conch is taken from that of the 
large shell-fish which are found in great num¬ 
bers in the waters of the Gulf. It is said to be 
applied to the Bahamans of Key West, because 
the popular belief, or pretence, is that they 
subsist principally upon the food of these shell¬ 
fish. A Conch, it is asserted, can dive to thu 
bottom of the ocean, where the water is not 
more than twelve fathoms in depth, and there 
crack and eat one of his namesakes for break¬ 
fast. 

However true that may be, and I leave you 
to judge of the probability for yourselves, I am 
unable to certify or deny it from my own perso- 


100 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

nal experience. In the case of any other peo¬ 
ple, we might decide at once that they could 
not live long enough under water to make 
the shortest repast; but it so happens that 
the Couchs are most expert divers, and rules 
which apply to most men, do not apply to 
them. 

To people generally, the following will appear 
within bounds. It was at least vouched for by 
many residents of Key West. A gentleman, on 
a fishing party to the Eeef became sea-sick, and 
lost his false teeth overbpard. One of the party 
noted some bearings of the land, and when 
they returned to Key West, a Conch engaged 
to find the teeth and restore them to their 
owner, in which extraordinary undertaking he 
succeeded. 

It must not be inferred from the circum¬ 
stance that the Conchs exclusively inhabit a 
particular quarter in the town of Key West, 
or from their having acquired the reputation of 
being skilful divers and wreckers, that they nevei 
occupy stations above the grade of common sail¬ 
ors. Many captains, mates, and owners of 
wreckers, come from these people. However, the 
majority, as elsewhere, are comprised in the class 
of ordinary seamen; and these, doubtless owing 
much to the fish diet upon which they chiefly 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


101 


subsist, are easily recognizable by their appear¬ 
ance and carriage. 

They are a long, lanky, and sallow race, 
tough and wiry, and capable of much ondurance 
in the region where they are acclimated. 


102 


THB YOUNG WEKCKEE, 


X:i. 


CAP! -mN tuft and his FRIENDS-THE EXCUR¬ 
SION TO SAND KEY-CAPTAIN TUFT’S 
COOK, S O l_ - REFLECTIONS ON T H E WON¬ 
DERS OF THE REEF-THE RETURN TO KEY 
WEST. 



HILE Captain Bowers was wait- 
ing for the schooner’s cargo of su¬ 


gar to be unladen, and was receiv¬ 
ing the stores which were to last 
during her cruise on the wrecking 
station for which she was bound, he 
had no need of my attendance, as 
he lived with his family in Key West. 

The leisure which thus fell to my lot, enabled 
me to make a very pleasant excursion to Sand 
Key, which is about eight miles to the south of 
Key West, and the southernmost possession of 
the United States. It contains an area of a 
.couple of hundred square yards. Its surface is 
barely above the level of the ocean, and it does 
not possess a single blade of any sort of vegeta- 


OR FRED RANSOM 


103 


tion. At the time of which I speak, it presented 
much the same appearance that it exhibits now, 
except that since then the United States G-ov- 
ernment has built there a huge light-house of 
iron, supported on piles of the same material. 
Some years before the erection of this light¬ 
house, another structure, for the same purpose 
had been swept away by the hurricane already 
mentioned, which well-nigh destroyed the whole 
island. 

The opportunity of making this trip to Sand 
Key was afforded me by a Captain Tuft, the 
captain of a wrecker which was fitting out at 
the wharf where our schooner lay. Captain 
Bowers had happened to mention my story to 
him, and this seemed to interest him in me; for 
one morning when paying a visit to Captain 
Bowers, he mentioned his intention of going to 
Sand Key, on the following day, and asked per¬ 
mission to take me with the party. 

The next day, about an hour after daylight, 
we started in a good stout sail-boat, twenty-twc 
feet in length, decked over the bow, and pro¬ 
vided with washboards. 

She was a staunch little craft, and, foi her 
size, carried an immense spread of canvas. 
Her sail, however, dtd not prove too much for 
her, although she heeled over, and every ihing 
strained and cracked, and her mast bent as if it 


feu' 


104 


THE YOUNQ WRECKER, 


would go by the board. In an hour and ter 
minutes from the time of our departure from 
Key West, we landed on Sand Key. Captain 
Tuft, before starting, had not communicated to 
me the purpose of his visiting that place; but 
while we were sailing there, I learned from the 
conversation of the party, consisting of six per¬ 
sons in all, that the excursion was made for the 
purpose of having a feast on a certain fish, 
called sand-fish, which frequent the coast of 
Florida, and are found in large numbers in the 
waters around Sand Key. The captain had 
brought the cook of his vessel with him, and 
had provided himself with all the appliances 
necessary for preparing the fish, not forgetting 
those accessories in the way of bread, butter, 
pickles, and condiments of all sorts, with which 
such parties are generally provided. I found 
that I had fallen in with a party of hons vivants, 
who had come down to regale themselves in 
epicurean style. 

We had scarcely beached the boat, before the 
black cook, Sol, was out with his cast-net, and 
making a straight line for the seaward side of the 
Key, where he thought that he perceived signs 
of fish. As this was the part of the day’s di¬ 
version which pleased me niost, I picked up the 
fish-basket, and quickly followed him. The 
main body of the Key was quite smooth and 


OR FRED EA.N?OM. 105 

Bandy, but, on the outside, the shore was broken 
up, by the action of the sea, into boulders of 
coral rock, scattt3red so profusely, that, by the 
exercise of a little agility, Sol and I leaped 
from fragment to fragment, and thus avoided 
going into the water. In the pools formed by 
the absence of fragments fn some places, whole 
schools of sand-fish flashed around, and darted 
in and out through the numerous openings to 
the sea. 

Whist I” suddenly ejaculated Sol, and with 
that, he crouched low, and throwing his net 
over his arm, crept cautiously towards one of 
the pools. In an instant more, the net had left 
his hand and fallen fairly in the midst of a 
school of fish. 

Just as I said that the net fell fairly in tho 
midst of the fish. It suggested .itself to me that 
you may not know how a casting-net is made, 
and that it were well if I here describe it, as 
you cannot otherwise conceive how, by throwing 
a net on top of fish, they can be entrapped. 
The seine, the scoop-net, and the casting-net, are 
all constructed upon different principles. The 
'scoop-net captures fish by being raised from 
below; the casting-net by falling from above; 
and the seine acts by the intermediate process, 
and merely encircles the fish, whereupon they 
can be hauled ashore. 


106 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

The casting-net is circular in form, and about 
three yards in diameter. For the purpose of 
keeping its edge close to the bottom of the 
water, little pellets of lead are placed around 
it at equal distances. A strong cord is at- 
tach^^d to the centre of the net, and in throwing 
the net, the end of the cord is passed around 
the left wrist. The mass of the net is then 
supported in a heap on the left arm, while it 
is spread across between the left and right 
arm, the latter of which supports and encircles 
it around its curve. This partial spread of the 
net, is what enables the caster to throw it so 
that it will open fully. If he held it otherwise, 
it would fall in a lump; but he extends one 
portion in its destined position, and suddenly 
launching that out into the air, the mass of "net 
held on the left arm follows it, and the whole 
assumes a horizontal position, and falls flat on 
the surface of the water. 

When Sol cast his net, there ensued such a 
thrashing and splashing and darting and leap¬ 
ing of fish, that it seemed to me that he must 
have missed his aim, and I intimated as much 
when I saw him deliberately hauling the net 
towards the rock on which he was stationed. 

“No, sah,” chuckled Sol, “dis niggah Fab 
cotch too many fish. Dey nose him by dis time, 
and dey nebber tries to get away." 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


107 


'‘How about those that left in bo great a 
hurry, Sol ?" said I. 

“Yah, yah; you see dey was disappointed 
bekase dey could n’t get in, and dey lef sudden. 
De fish on dis Eeef knows dat it s not ebery 
cook can do ’em up so brown as old Sol, so 
dere’s gin’rally a rush to have the honor of me 
cookin’ ’em.” 

There had certainly been a rush on this oc¬ 
casion, for as Sol slowly and carefully hauled 
his net to the rock on which he stood, I could 
see that it was alive with pan-fish from five to six 
inches in length. We carefully carried it to the 
sandy ground back of the coral boulders, and 
there disengaged its glistening burden. 

While I was putting the fish into the basket, 
Sol made off in a new direction, and by the 
time I had finished, I saw the net swing out 
again, and fall into one of the neighboring pools. 
Carefully hauling in the cord, Sol gathered up 
the net, and approaching me, deposited on the 
sand a still bigger catch than his first one. 

“ I reckon we ’se got enough to commence 
on,” said Sol, as I heaped the basket nearly to 
the top. 

“ To Commence on ! Why Sol, there’s enough 
for a ship’s company !” 

“ Dey’s ekal to two ships’ companies any day, 
—the captain and his friends. I ’ve fisbed fr*' 


108 


THE YOUNG WRECKEK, 


dem genelmen afore, sah,—yes, sail, dey’s pow¬ 
erful feeders on small fry. It ’ll do to com¬ 
mence on. I ’ll tote de net, it ’ll wet you,—you 
tote de basket, will you, sail ?” 

We returned to the other end of the Key, 
where, by this time, the captain and his five 
friends had built a fire in a portable stove, and 
had put up a shelter of canvas supported by 
four poles thrust into the ground." Undei the 
shade of this awning, the captain and his 
friends appeared to be making themselves very 
comfortable with a bottle of light wine and 
Borne biscuit. Some such arrangement as the 
awning was very desirable, for although, in this 
region, the temperature ill the shade never 
rises above 96° Fahrenheit, the heat in the sun 
is excessive, and the glare from the white coral 
Band intense. Under shelter, the sea-breeze, 
which rarely ceases to blow, renders the ordi¬ 
nary temperature delightful. 

Hurry up, Sol!” exclaimed Captain Tuft, 
*Hhe sail from Key West has given us all rave¬ 
nous appetites. I didn’t touch a morsel for 
breakfast, just to save myself up for this treat. 
I drank a cup of coffee, that’s all.” 

Sol was at that very moment hurrying up, 
being engaged, with the Gulf for a basin, in 
cleaning and preparing the fish for the table, or 
rather, the ground spread with a few napkins. 


OK FRED RANSOM. 


109 


Securing my services, we soon had a couple of 
dozen fish seething and sputtering in the frying- 
pan. This certainly could not have been more 
than a quarter of an hour from the time when 
they were caught. 

Sol was right about the quality of the captain 
and his friends as trencher-men. It is true 
that none of them had had breakfast; all, like 
the captain, having avoided eating any thing 
before leaving Key West, for the sake of the 
breakfast which awaited them at Sand Key. 
The fish were small, too; but then (indisputable 
fact) the basket had been nearly full, and no 
fish were left for me and Sol. Sol soon got 
over that difficulty, and in five minutes had 
caught another mess of fish, from which we se¬ 
lected the finest, and let the rest go, at which I 
wickedly informed Sol that they must be very 
much “ disappointed.’' 

I found the sand-fish delicious. The bones 
are so delicate, that although one might wish 
them smaller, they are not large enough for one 
to think of picking them out. The most agree¬ 
able method of eating these fish is by removing 
the head, taking the tail between the fingers, 
and conveying the fish to the mouth without 
the aid of knife or fork. 

By the time I had finished my breakfast,, to 
which Sol added his society, by standing and 
10 


110 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

munching near the place where I sat in the bow 
of the boat, the captain and his friends were 
well under way in sea stories and sugars. Sol 
had commenced to wash up the crockery, and 
I, having nothing to engage my attention, wan¬ 
dered back to the coral boulders from which 
Sol had cast his net. 

Some of them lay so closely together, that I 
could sit on one, and place my heels on two 
others. As I sat in this position, I gradually 
came to notice all sorts of little creeping things 
and fishes and marine plants, which, from their 
diminutive size, had not at first attracted my 
attention. I got down on my hands and knees, 
and then lay prone on my face, and examined 
the water between the boulders. It was swarm¬ 
ing with life of every variety. One little fish 
particularly engaged my attention. It was 
very small, not more than two inches long, and 
its minuteness was probably the cause of its 
not being alarmed at my proximity. In com¬ 
parison with it, I was probably so gigantic, that 
it did not 'even realize my presence. Its color 
was the most beautiful mazarine blue, when ii 
paddled into the shadows, and when it emerged 
into the light, it took a cerulean tint. On the 
Eeef, these fish are called blue-fi jh, and they 
grow much larger, being, when full grown. 


3il FRED RANSOM. Ill 

several inches in length. They never attain a 
large size. 

I lay for a long time watching this fish, and 
the other, living things that, in great numbers, 
occupied every little shallow; and then I sat 
up, and looked along the stretch of Keys and 
Keefs, and thought how strange was this mul¬ 
tiform and myriad life, how wonderful this coral 
which built solid walls of rock from the waters 
of the sea, and ceaselessly and harmoniously 
followed out the Divine Thought, in obedience 
to the Divine Will. 

'' Fred ! Fred!" I suddenly heard the voice 
of the captain shout, “All aboard, now; we’re 
ofi for Key West!” 

The wind was abeam, and in a little more 
than the time taken by our first trip, we 
reached Key West. After thanking the cap¬ 
tain for his kindness, I went aboard of the 
Flying Cloud, which was deserted by the men, 
some of whorn were looking on, while the others 
were engaged in helping to land wild cattle 
from a neighboring schooner, just arrived from 
the main*land of Florida. 


112 


THE YOUNG WRHCKEB, 


xzi. 

THE CHARACTER OF THE SAILOR--LANDI .Ci 
WILD CATTLE-THE MAD BULL-THE CAP¬ 
TAIN’S INTENTION TO SAIL. 



F it is true, as Shakespeare says^ 
that we, meaning men and wo¬ 
men generally, are but children of a 
larger growth, the sailor is always 
the veriest child. 

Doubtless it is the freshness of 
mind and impulsiveness, which he 
retains in original purity, that so captivate the 
popular heart. The strange compound which 
he presents of diffidence and self-conceit, of su¬ 
perstitious awe and quick intelligence, of spor¬ 
tiveness and pugnacity,—of all, in short, that is 
ill-regulated and contradictory,—is discovered 
only in .the conduct of the child and of the sailor. 

I found our men dancing in glee around the 
spot where the cattle were being landed. The 
more the bulls raged and strained to break 
away, ths more the crew shouted with delight. 


OK FRED RANSOM. 


113 


On the wharf was an open space, on which 
were congregated some cattle which had been 
landed. When fairly herded on shore, after 
being released from the dark and noisome hold 
of the vessel, and from the fastenings by which 
they were hoisted to the land, they seemed to 
find so great solace in companionship, that they 
stood gazing around them with stupid wonder¬ 
ment, as if striving with their dull perceptions, 
to take in their situation, and mutely inquiring. 
What torture next ?” The moment of landing 
was the fearful period for each beast; and each, 
in turn, resisted as strenuously as horns and 
hoofs and bellowing could avail. 

The operation of landing the cattle was ef¬ 
fected in the following manner: First of all, 
a block and tackle were rigged aloft on the 
schooner. The end of the tackle was then fas¬ 
tened around the horns of a bull or cow. An¬ 
other rope was fastened to the horns, and its 
end passed through an iron ring ‘ in the 
wharf. When the men hauled away on 
the tackle, the animal was, of course, grad- 
dually elevated through the hatchway, and 
suspended in mid-air. Hanging thus, it looked 
as if dislocated in every joint, and stretched 
entirely out of shape. When its hind hoofs 
were sufficiently high to clear the rail of the 
schooner, the men on shore hauled away on the 
10» 


114 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

rope which passed through the iron ling, and 
as soon as the hind hoofs cleared the rail, the 
tackle was eased away until they touched the 
ground. But the men who were in charge of 
the rope on shore then had to be on the alert; 
for the very moment that the animal felt 
ground, a complete transformation took place. 
The meek, piteous beast of the lengthened 
carcass, became the well-knit, ponderous brute 
of flaming eye, distended nostril, foaming 
mouth, and pawing hoof. 

With any scope of line, the infuriated animal 
would have broken away, and taken vengeance 
upon its tormentors. To avoid the danger of 
this occurrence, when its hind hoofs touched 
ground, the tackle was quickly eased away, and 
the rope passing through the ring was hauled so 
suddenly that the animals head was brought 
into forcible contact with the ring on the ground. 
In. this position, it fell and rose, foamed and 
bellowed, until, exhausted with rage, its quiet¬ 
ness confessed defeat. It was tlien released, 
whereupon it abjectly trotted off to join the 
troop of animals which had gone through the 
same process, and now, as spectators, stood 
with fearful curiosity, gazing at the perform¬ 
ance in which they had just ceased to be 
actors. 

Our men enjoyed all this vastly, and three 


OR FRE\. RANSOM. 


115 


of them, as volunteers, were manning the rope 
which passed through the ring. At last came 
the turn of a particularly savage black bull. 
There was great trouble to make the tackle 
fast to his horns ; but it was at last accomplish¬ 
ed, and he slowly rose above the hatchway. 
He was, in form, a splendid fellow, and as 
eleek as if he had been groomed. The usual 
operation was coming to an end; the hind 
hoofs touched; the tackle was eased away; and 
the men at the ring brought the aninial’s head 
down with so great violence, that his fore-feet 
gave way under him, and he fell on his chest. 
But with a bellow of concentrated rage, ha 
sprang to his feet, and gathering his body into 
a heap, in which every muscle was brought into 
play, he made one superlative effort, and broke 
his bonds. In an instant, all was confusion on 
the wharf. The bull staggered from the excess 
of force whi^’ he had put into his efiort. 
Then, shaking his head, and glaring around, 
purpose seemed to settle upon him. His head 
lowered, and he rushed at the nearest man. 

But the man was a sailor, or else he would 
never have been saved. Dropping instantly, he 
rolled over and over, like a bundle, and just as 
he fell over the edge of the wharf, he grasped 
it with both hands, and held on. All this oc¬ 
cupied but a few seconds. The bull was 


116 THE YOUNG WHECHER, 

disc(mcerted at the extraordinary manoeuvre of 
an enemy who had put his body out of sight, 
but left a head looking at him over the level 
of the wharf. Drawing a deep breath, expres¬ 
sive of mingled amazement and animosity, he 
paused, then glanced around to discover his 
other enemies. They had had time to take 
refuge in all directions, and, with a snort of 
defiance, the bull made straight for the town of 
Key West. 

The men came out of their places of security, 
rushed on the wharf, and shouted, “ Mad bull! 
mad bull!” As our eyes followed him dashing 
up the street which ranged with the wharf, we 
could see the people scampering in all direc¬ 
tions, and taking refuge in the porches and 
door-ways of houses, or in any shelter that pre¬ 
sented itself. We could see the beast occasion¬ 
ally swerve from his course, as he caught sight 
of some one, and when disappointed, resume his 
career. He had not more than a mile to go 
before he reached the woods, and only a portion 
of that distance lay through the town. For¬ 
tunately, no one was injured, and as we hurried 
towards the woods with guns, we heard the 
sharp crack of a couple of rifles which fore¬ 
stalled our intention, for we found the poor 
bull weltering in his blood, and dead. 

When we returned to the Flying Cloud, I 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


117 


met Captain Bowers, who had heard of the 
disturbance, and had come down to the vessel. 
He made a few inquiries of me, and then 
said: 

“We are to sail to-morrow, Fred. Are you 
all ready ?" 

“ Quite, sir,” I replied, “I had nothing to do, 
but what I did on the day when we arrived. 
Please, sir, don’t forget to leave my name with 
the owners, so that if a letter comes for me, it 
will be sent up the Beef with your mail.” 

“Certainly not, Fred; I will attend to that. 
Have you any thing else to ask? Make sure, 
now, for we ’ll sail to-morrow, for certain.” 

“ No, sir,” I answered,—“ nothing but that.” 

“ Good-evening, then,” said the captain, as ho 
left me. ‘ 

“Good-evening, captain,” I replied, ’as I 
walked away and fell into a thoughtful mood,—• 
revolving in my mind, my father’s letter my 
home, and the mysterious Beef, to which, by a 
strange conjunction of circumstances, I waa 
proceeding as the cabin-boy of a wrecker. 


118 


THE YOUNQ WRECKEB, 




rHl= EFFECT OF A GALE UPON THE COLOH 
OF THE WATER ABOUT THE REEF-THE FLY* 
ING CLOUD SAILS FROM KEY WEST-HER 
CRUISE BETWEEN THE FLORIDA REEF AND 
KEYS. 



;HEN on the following morning, I 
came on deck, a norther, which 
had commenced to blow on the pre¬ 
ceding night, was still unabated. It 
blew steadily : neither “ lighter nor 
heavier,” a sailor would say. So it 
continued for three full days. Al¬ 
most the first thing that struck me was the 
change that had taken place in the water. It 
had become a dirty cream-color. On inquiry, I 
ascertained that the storms on the Keef always 
produce this effect. 

Of course, the sea is always swashing over 
every part of the Reef, detaching fragments 
from the massive corals, shattering the more 
fragile growths, and grinding both togethej, 



on FREI) HANSOM. 


119 


and against the bottom, until they crumble to 
pieces, and even become reduced to powder. 
This product of the material of the Eeef, and the 
ceaseless labor of the sea, is called disintegrated 
coral, and forms the only sand known to the 
region of the Florida Keys. When a violent 
wind, like a norther, prevails, this sand along 
the beaches, and in the shallows, and even in 
the depths, is stirred up; more is added to it 
by the constant wearing of the sea, and, 
alfer a few hours, the whole of the waters 
about the Reef become turbid and tinged 
with the cream-like color described, and re¬ 
main so until some hours after the storm has 
subsided. 

We lay at Key West for three days, when 
the norther ceased. After shipping a man to 
supply the place of the Korwegian, we cast 
loose from our wharf, and set sail up the Pteef. 
On our larboard hand, lay a stretch of innu¬ 
merable Keys, often so close together, that we 
could not distinguish any break in the land, 
until we came abreast of it, and “ opened ” the 
inlets through which other Keys were visible, 
appearing scattered in the waters, back of the 
well-defined line that we were coasting. All 
were low, some of them not being more than 
two or three feet above the level of the sea, 
and others were partially overflowed. They 


120 THE YOUNG WEECHER, 

all exhibited, in greater or less denseness of 
foliage, the uniform, universal mangrove trees. 

The wind was so fair that we could lay our 
course along the Eeef, and it was now beautiful 
weather, as is usually the case after a norther, 
so that I enjoyed the sail exceedingly. I had 
become so used to my duties, which in them¬ 
selves were quite light, that I felt them to be 
only nominal, having plenty of time at my 
disposal, and luxuriating in the novel scenes by 
which I was surrounded. At first, there had 
been two drawbacks to my happiness. In 
leaving Key West, I realized more than ever 
that I was indeed cast upon the world, and 
dependent upon my own resources, and I was ig¬ 
norant of what were my father’s sentiments 
towards me. I also yearned for companionship. 
Strictly speaking, I belonged neither forward 
nor aft, and felt and acted accordingly. These 
sources of uneasiness marred, but could not 
altogether destroy, my pleasure. I once more 
buoyed myself up with the arguments which 
I had previously used to conquer my dejec¬ 
tion, and, at last, came to my former sage 
conclusion, that if misfortune were destined to 
come, I ought not to meet it half way, and 
then if it were not, (and with a father so good 
and kind, why should I suppose it probable?) 
T should find that I had been giving my- 


Ott FRED RANSOM. 


121 


self gratuitous pain. As for want of •com¬ 
panionship, I reasoned with ' myself thcit it 
was a small matter, and soon threw off the 
longing, and gradually resumed my late re¬ 
signed and contented mood. 0 youth, thy 
griefs are fleeting, but thy hopes and joys pe¬ 
rennial I 


U 


122 


THE YOUNG WRECKBH 


CHI-A-iFTEE. XI-V* 


FRED RANSOM DESCRIBES THE RetF AND 
KEYS, IN ORDER THAT THE READER MAY 
MORE FULLY ENJOY THE ADVENTURES 
WHICH ARE TO FOLLOW, AND ALSO AC¬ 
QUIRE SOME KNOWLEDGE WELL WORTH OB¬ 
TAINING. 



^ S I draw near those scenes in which 


destined to spend several 


months, it would he well, for the 
sake of the better understanding of 
what is to follow, and for that ot 
general information, if the reader 
will fancy himself aboard of the 


Flying Cloud, as she sails along the Keys, 
and, meanwhile, learn something about the pre¬ 
sent formation of the Eeef,—how it was made. 


and how the work still goes on under the charge 


of little builders, to whom the task was com¬ 
mitted thousands and thousands of years ago by 
the Great Architect of the Universe. 

In general terms, the Florida Eeef includea 



OR FRED RANSOM. 


123 


all the coral ledges and neighboring Keys: but 
to speak more precisely, the Florida Keef is 
one great ridge of coral, stretching contin¬ 
uously from a short distance north of Cape 
Florida, to several miles beyond Key West. 
This is the Pi-eef proper, the Keef which must 
be distinguished as such; for it is the only 
thing thereabouts really entitled to the name, 
for the reason that it is tha only great coral 
bank lying under water. Except some patches 
of coral sand, not comprising more than a few 
square yards, it is entirely submerged, whereas, 
the Florida Keys form a long line of islands, 
covered with verdure, and many of them capa¬ 
ble of cultivation. 

Commencing at Virginia Key, the northern¬ 
most island of the Florida Keys, and just above 
Cape Florida (for the Cape is the southern end 
of Key Biscayne, the next Key to Virginia 
Key), the Keef, except the few patches men¬ 
tioned, is a great submerged bank, which runs 
in a gradual curve to a point west of the Mar¬ 
quesas, where it stops abruptly, and forms, 
with the banks around the Marquesas, the main 
entrance to the Keef-Channel and to the Harbor 
of Key West. Commencing at the north again, 
the general trend of the Keef and Keys, for 
about sixty miles, is S. S. W.; then, for* about 
one hundred and forty miles, W. S. W.; and 


124 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

iLen, between thirty and forty miles, including 
the Tortugas, the rest of the line takes a 
direction about W. N. W. The line of the 
Reef and ‘Keys curves so regularly, that it 
forms the segment of a circle with a diametei 
of about two hundred and forty miles. 

Parallel to the great submerged coral bank, 
which I have said constitutes the Reef, and 
varying in distance from two to five miles from 
it, lie the Florida Keys, the appearance of which 
has been already described. The southernmost 
one is Sand Key, to which Captain Tuft took 
me on the fishing excursion from Key West. 
The westernmost ones are a group named the 
Tortugas, so called from the abundance of tur¬ 
tles found in the neighboring waters.* 

The Reef is really the left bank of the straits 
of Florida, through which the Gulf Stream 
flows into the Atlantic. It also forms a natural 
breakwater for the Florida Keys, throughout 
their whole extent; for the top of the Reef, 
being only a few feet under water, protects the 
Keys from the violence of the waves, and 
although there often is surf on their beaches, 
it is of a very different character from that 
driven in from an open sea. Ordinarily, the 

* The name formerly used for turtle was tortoise, and 
the word Tortugas is derived from the Spanish word for 
tortoise—tortuga. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


125 


water of the channel between the Keys and 
Beef is not more agitated than usual in the 
lower parts of bays. 

All that we see here, and all that lies beyond, 
for miles and miles further than any distance 
which you can actually conceive, although you 
may know it to exist, is the work of little 
animals, a species of polyp, so minute and de¬ 
licate, that before one constructs its rock castle, 
a little pinch between the finger and thumb 
would deprive it of existence. For thousands 
upon thousands of years, they have gone on 
untiringly -constructing a great peninsula of a 
continent. 

What the present Reef is, the Keys once 
were. They were a coral Reef, commencing to 
the northward, at the same point at which the 
present Reef begins, but extending further, and 
ending in the group of Keys called the Tor- 
tugas. Now, still counting from the eastward, 
we come to the densely wooded shore of the 
main-land of Florida. This consists of a line 
of hummocks, which are neither more nor less 
than an ancient line of Keys, situated on an 
ancient line of Reef. Back of this main-shore 
of low bluffs, and after penetrating the growth 
which covers a low strip of land called the 
Indian Hunting Grounds, we come to the first 
of seven parallel lines of hummocks that havQ 


126 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


already been discovered. These are all known 
to be the successive lines that have in turn 
formed the Florida Eeef. From Reefs, they 
became Keys, and from Keys, main-land. This 
is strange enough, but more wonders probably 
remain than those which have been revealed; 
for there is reason to suppose that the whole 
peninsula of Florida has been formed in the 
same manner.* 

Between the present Reef and Keys, there 
is now a deep channel, but in the course of 
time, the Reef will complete its growth, and 
the channel between the present Reef and Keys 
will fill up by the same process which is now 
connecting the present Keys with the main¬ 
land, and which has already been completed 
between the shore bluffs and the lines of hum¬ 
mocks in the interior. 

You may ask what the limit of this Reef 
extension is to be. The answer is very simple. 
The Reef-building polyps cannot build in water 
exceeding fifteen fathoms in depth, and not far 
from the present Reef, the Gulf Stream rolls 
its almost unfathomable waters. 

* For the fact as to the number of lines of ancient Reef 
discovered on the main-land of Florida, as well as for 
several other facts included in this chapter, I am indebted 
to Professor Agassiz’s work entitled, “ Methods of Study in 
Natural History.’* 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


127 


Without doubt, in picturing to yourselves 
the corals, you have always imagined them to 
be either like those delicate red or roseate ones 
used for trinkets, or like those whose exquisite 
whiteness and antlered gracefulness render them 
conspicuous in parlor or cabinet. The corals, 
however, are of many colors, and of various 
kinds of entirely different structure. 

The corals build Reefs only in tropical cli¬ 
mates. The Reef is a wall of lime-stone formed 
by the animals from the lime which exists in a 
state of suspension in the salt water. These 
polyps have the power of assimilating the lime, 
—that is, the animals convert the lime to the 
purposes of their existence. Digestion, for in¬ 
stance, is the process of assimilating food, and 
although lime does not become the food of these 
polyps, but, on the contrary, their dwellings, 
yet in thus appropriating this substance to the 
purposes of their existence, they perform one 
of the acts called assimilation. 

The direction of a line of Reef conforms to 
the shore off which it is situated. If the shore 
is straight or curved, so, also, in the same 
degree, will be the Reef. Sometimes, as in the 
Pacific, it has surrounded an island, which, by 
the sinking of the ocean bottom, has disap¬ 
peared below the surface, while, at the same 
time, the Reef has grown until it reaclie'') 


128 THE YOUNG WBECKER, 

nearly to the surface, and then, gradually 
collecting a soil upon which a dense vegetation 
has sprung up, it has been transformed into a 
verdant ring of land surrounding a lake in mid¬ 
ocean. 

Now that you have learned where the corals 
choose the sites for the construction of their 
homes, it is time for you to become acquainted 
with the mode in which they proceed. The foun¬ 
dations of a Keef are laid broadly and strongly 
by a kind of coral which constructs huge knobs 
of many feet in diameter. These, the sailors 
on the Reef, call “ coral heads.” The present 
Reef is about seventy feet in height, and the 
whole base of it is composed of “ coral heads.” 
When in the commencement of a Reef, these 
heads ” have multiplied and grown in height, 
until the water has become as shallow as six 
fathoms in depth, the condition of their pros¬ 
perity, which requires a certain pressure of 
water, ceases, and with it ceases their further 
development. They give place to another kind 
of coral, which, in time, gives place to another, 
and another, until just below the surface of 
the sea, the top of a Reef is crowned and va¬ 
riegated with a delicate growth of fragile 
corals, corallines, sea-fans, &c. 

The Reef is now finished, and forms a solid 
wall of lime-stone, abrupt on the seaward side, 


1 


Ofl FRED RANSOM. 


129 


and sloping gently landward. Now another 
process completes the sea-wall. The action of 
the waves on the Eeef has detached great 
masses of coral, broken them into fragments, 
and ground them into sand. This sand, and 
materials composed of shells, decaying animal 
matter, timber and mud from the main-land, 
are gradually collected among the light corals 
on the summit of the Eeef, until, at last, a 
tolerably secure soil begins to appear above 
the surface of the sea. On this, the waves 
soon wash up the same material that com¬ 
menced to form the land, and it is rendered 
still more secure. Vegetation is now the only 
thing needed, and it comes by accident: that 
is, if aught can be accident that so resembles 
design. 

The greatest resource which these spots 
have, is in the mangrove tree, with which 
nearly all the Keys are more or less covered. 
In the condition of little stalks with roots at 
the end, the mangrove seeds float in great 
numbers around the Eeef and Keys, and are, 
of course, deposited wherever the waves carry 
them. No sooner do they obtain a foothold, 
than they begin to sprout rapidly, for salt 
water does not impede their growth. As they 
shoot up, they throw out numerous roots, not 
only below, but above, so that the stem is 


130 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

surrounded by a gnarled, fantastic enclosure, 
over which it is difficult to clamber. In this 
uncouth basket-work, which looks like a night¬ 
mare of rustic arbor furniture, all sorts of 
materials collect, and the permanence of the 
new-born Key is tolerably well assured. 

We now come to the process by which a 
Reef becomes, first, the shore of the main-land, 
and, afterwards, hummocks in the interior. 
While the Reef is being built, the channel 
between the Keys (or former Reef) and the 
main-land has been gradually filling up with 
mud-flats, and by the time the Reef is com¬ 
pleted, and another one commenced outside 
(for the latter does not commence until the 
other is finished), the channel between the 
Reef and Keys begins to fill up, while 
that between the Keys and main-land will 
have closed, thus making the Keys part of the 
main-land. 

You do not, of course, imagine that, while I 
was sailing along the Reef, I gleaned all the 
information which I have imparted. All I saw 
was, on one hand, a long stretch of green 
islands, and on the other, the great ocean, with 
the surf dashing, in places, on the intervening 
Reef. What I have told you was learned 
where most information is gained—from books. 
Then, too, my life on the coast, during the 


FKED BAN80M. Ill 

following months, made me very familiar with 
that region. 

Now you will more readily comprehend, and 
therefore more fully enjoy the adventures to ba 
narrated* 


132 


THE TOUNO WBECJKIE, 


IXV. 

HOW THE OCCUPATION OF WRECKING IS PUR- 
SUED-OBSERVATIONS ON THE CHARACTER 
OF THE WREOKERS. 


ETWEEN the Eeef and Keys the 
wreckers lie securely at anchor, sta¬ 
tioned near enough to one another 
to enable them, by sailing a few 
miles in each direction, to survey 
the whole extent of the Beef. In 
case of necessity, as soon as they 
sight each other, they communicate by signals. 
Imagine this long stretch of Beef with its wreck¬ 
ers stationed at regular intervals along its course. 
There they lie, ever ready, at a moment s notice, 
to sail at a signal of distress. Not more speed- 
ilv do the buzzards, from their aerial heights, 
descry the distant prey and 'grow from nothing 
10 specks, and then to distinct birds winging 
their flight from every quarter, than the fast 
wreckers spread their canvas wings, and flock 




OR FRED RANSOM. 


133 


towards the vessel of the stranded mariner. But 
the purpose that actuates them is very different. 
One comes to quench, if need be, a lingering 
spark of life, but the other comes to save and 
restore. 

It is a very common, and, at the same time, 
^ erroneous belief, that the wrecker is one, who, 
on occasions, does not scruple to show false 
lights to lure the unwary navigator to destruc¬ 
tion, and who, under pretence of saving pro¬ 
perty and life, is ever ready to resort to pillage 
and personal violence to secure possession of 
merchandise. This idea comes entirely from 
the knowledge which every one possesses, that, 
in wrecking, what is the loss of one man is the 
gain of another. But so it is, in greater or less 
degree, in all the transactions of life. It is evi¬ 
dent, that if this notion about the wreckers is 
correct, the same influence must corrupt nearly 
all mankind, and especially it would not be safe 
to live with lawyers and physicians, for fear 
of being drugged, or constantly set by the ears. 
In all my intercourse with wreckers, I found 
them to be men, much like others of their 
species; and if there was any thing objection¬ 
able in their mode of life, it was in a par¬ 
ticular injurious to themselves, and about which 
you will learn when I come to the history of 
our daily life. 

12 


134 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

Wrecking, according to a system like tkat 
established in Florida, by law, should not be 
confounded with the coast piracy, which, in 
old times, often existed in what were called 
civilized countries, and which still exists along 
l)arbarous coasts. There was a time, when, 
even in civilized countries, the wreck was con¬ 
sidered the lawful property of the king of the 
country where it was cast away. Then there 
was little mercy for the property or lives of 
the shipwrecked, except that which the salvors 
chose to extend. But in Florida, now, what¬ 
ever wrecking there may once have been, when 
the island of Key West was a favorite resort 
of smugglers and pirates, the business is as 
regularly conducted as any occupation in which 
seamen are engaged. The wrecking vessels are 
there to give aid, but if a captain chooses to 
refuse it, even if he needs it, he can use his 
own pleasure. When, however, he puts his 
vessel and cargo in charge of any one of the 
vessels that come to his rescue, the captain of 
the latter becomes responsible for all further 
proceedings, and takes full command,, and em¬ 
ploys others to aid him, or not, as he judges 
fit. When the stranded vessel, or the mer¬ 
chandise, or both, are saved, the amount due 
to the salvor is awarded by the Judge of an 
Admiralty Court. The sum adjudged to be 


OR FREt) RANSOM. 


135 


l1u( 3 to the wreckers, in proportion to the loss 
which they have averted, is termed the salvage. 
If, now-a-days, there is any thing nefarious 
about wrecking, it is generally on the side of 
the wrecked. Many a vessel, for the sake of 
obtaining the money for which it was insured, 
has been intentionally driven on the Keef, du¬ 
ring a night of quiet weather, when there was 
no danger of her going to pieces. 

The wrecking vessels being strung at inter¬ 
vals along the Eeef, 'between it and the Keys, 
every now and then we passed close to one 
and received a hail and inquiry whether we had 
brought any mail for her from Key West. But 
we had none, except for a vessel which we 
expected to find near to the station for which 
we were bound; so after shaking the schooner 
up in the wind, for a minute or two, so as to 
give the captains a chance to have a short 
talk, we kept away on our course. 

We sailed along most prosperously until 
about dark, when we came to anchor just off 
Indian Key, on which there were a number of 
houses. The captain went ashore to visit some 
one, but as he did not order me to accompany 
him, I had no opportunity of seeing more 
than the general appearance of the Key, on 
which I could plainl 3 ^ distinguish the housea 
of the settlement. 


136 


THE YOLNG WRECKER, 




THE F^LYING CLOUD WEIGHS ANCHOR-THB 
KING-FISH-WE COME TO ANCHOR AT OUR 
WRECKING STATION-THE WRECKER’S LIFE. 



HE next morning I was aroused 
by the voices of the crew, as they 
cheerily sang while heaving up the 
anchor. In a few moments I was on 
deck and engaged at my duties. 
The first one always consisted in pro¬ 
viding the captain with a cup of cof- 
The cook had already given one apiece to 
the men. This coffee drinking I found to be a 
regular custom on the Keef. With a good cup 
of the exhilarating beverage, the men can bet¬ 
ter perform their duty before breakfast. 

Before I could get on deck, the crew had the. 
iails set, and the anchor apeak; and just as I 
put my head above the companion-way, I saw 
the jib run up, and the schooner’s head fall off, 
as the quick clicking of the windlass told me 


OR FRED RANSOM. 137 

that the anchor was clear of the bottom, and 
the schooner under way. 

The morning gave promise of as clear a day 
as the preceding one had been. We had a 
spanking breeze, but it was dead ahead. How¬ 
ever, as we had only about ten miles to go before 
reaching our station, the direction of the wind 
did not trouble us. 

We had hardly sailed five miles, when, in a 
vessel bearing down for us, the captain recog¬ 
nized the schooner which occupied the station 
to the northward of ours. She was now on her 
morning sail along the Eeef, to sight the next 
wrecker to the southward. Lately she had had 
double duty to perform, on account of our 
absence. As she had a fair wind, she soon 
neared us and luffed up, whereupon, we thr.ew 
her mail aboard of her, and she kept away, 
and resumed her course down the Eeef. 

Our black cook, Hannibal, suggested to me, 
that it would be a good plan to troll for some 
fish, so I got out my tackle, with which I had 
provided myself at Key West, procured a chunk 
of pork at the galley, baited one of my biggest 
hooks, and let it float out well astern of the 
schooner. It had not been in the water more 
than five minutes, when I saw a large fish dart 
at the bait, and, at the same time, the line 
slackened, and then jerked violently. I gave a 
12 * 


138 


THE YOUNG WRECNEK, 


shout, and hauled away with all my might 
and main, but I could not go hand over hand 
more than twice. I was just able to hold the 
fish. 

You’re got ’um,” said Hannibal, running 
quickly aft, and chuckling at my success. “ He 
too much for you alone, massa, let me lend you 
a hand.” 

‘‘ He will be too much for both of you,” said 
the captain, emerging from the cabin, for he ’ll 
part the line if you try to haul it in while the 
vessel has so much way on her. Here (to 
the man at the helm), luff the schooner up in 
the wind’s eye.” 

The schooner ran up into the wind, until her 
sails were all shaking. 

Now,” said the captain, a.s the vessel began 
to lose her head-way, “ haul in as fast as you 
can, Fred. Hannibal you help him.” 

Hannibal and I hauled away as directed, and 
soon got the fish on deck. It was a splendid 
king-fish, a species of pike quite numerous in 
the waters of the Reef. 

‘‘ There, Hannibal,” said the captain, take 
him forward and make him' into a chowder. 
There ’ll be enough for the cabin, and all hands 
forward.” 

I followed my piize forward, perfectly de¬ 
lighted at my success, as, before that occasion, 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


139 


I had never caught any thing larger than a 
river perch. I suppose that if I had then been 
called upon to estimate the- weight of the fish, 
I would have set it down at several hundred 
pounds. 

In about an hour, we came to our appointed 
station off the Reef. The sails were soon furled, 
and the captain took breakfast. The men had 
had theirs while we were under way. 

Here we were, at last, on our destined sta¬ 
tion, to remain how long, I had not the slightest 
idea, for the intentions of owners and captains 
are not communicated to cabin-boys and crews. 
Shrewd guesses, however, are often made as to 
matters which are not mentioned. Nice calcu¬ 
lations of the probabilities of a vessels stay 
are often gathered by the men from mere trifles. 

The crew were set to work at scraping and 
slushing down the masts, and at resetting and 
tarring down the standing-rigging. The day 
passed in this and other work needed to put the 
schooner in perfect condition. Aboard of a ship 
at sea, the work is ceaseless. On a schooner, 
like ours, of less than a hundred tons burden, 
the work, of course, bears no comparison with 
that aboard of a ship. Besides, it is less in 
proportion; for as a wrecker lies much at 
anchor, she is not subjected to the wear and 
tear incidental to a vessel constantly under way. 


140 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


Still, there is always something to be done on 
the smallest vessel. 

The experience of the following few days 
instructed me in the whole business of wreck¬ 
ing, but it was not until I reached a more 
mature age, that I was enabled to realize the 
feature to which I once alluded as objectionable 
in the life of the wrecker. Not being employed 
at regular'wages, he is paid his proportion of 
salvage. His profession is that of taking a 
share in a lottery. He may draw a prize, but 
he is more likely to receive a blank. The case 
of the whaler, who also goes on shares, is differ¬ 
ent, for he is sure of something. But the 
wrecker may serve a long time, and earn abso¬ 
lutely nothing. Meanwhile, where is he? On 
board of a small vessel with a large crew, and 
without sufficient work to employ his body or 
mind. He has high hopes for the future, sus¬ 
tained by some crum-bs of comfort from the past. 


OB FBBl) RANSOM. • 


141 




"RED RANSOM’S FIRST DAY’S EXPERIENCE A f 
WRECKING-HE, BILL RUGGLES, JOHN LINDEN, 
THOMAS DEAL, AND DENNIS BRADY, THE 
IRISHMAN, GO ASHORE —THEY TAKE JACK, 
WHO ALWAYS WANTS TO BE ONE OF A PARTY 
WHERE THERE IS LIKELY TO BE ANY SPORT. 



/UST at the peep of day, on the 
following morning, the Flying 
Cloud got under way, and sailed 
eight or ten miles to the northward, 
until she sighted the wrecker that 
had passed us the day before, and after¬ 
wards repassed us in order to resume 
her station on the Eeef. The wrecker was un¬ 
der way for the purpose of sighting our vessel. 
No wreck appearing on the Reef, between the 
two schooners, they reversed their course; the 
Flying Cloud running past her anchorage, and 
examining the Eeef, until she sighted a wrecking 
sloop that was under way from the next station 
to the southward. She then reversed her course, 



142 THE TOUNO WEECKBR, 

for the second time, and ran towards her an¬ 
chorage. 

“ Where will we sail now ?” I inquired of 
Buggies, with whom I was standing on the for¬ 
ward deck. 

“Nowheres, to-day,” he answered, “unless ii 
should blow this afternoon, and then the cap¬ 
tain might chance to get under way again.” 

“And is this all that we shall have to do 
every day ?” I asked. 

“Well, yes,” said Buggies, “about all, ’cept 
keeping the schooner in good order, and some¬ 
times getting under way in the afternoon, if it's 
blown heavy along through the day, ’mounting 
to a storm. We always take a good squint at 
the Beef, the first thing every morning; for 
night's the likeliest time, you see, for vessels to 
pile on it.” 

“ It seems to me. Bill,” rejoined I, “ that 
wreckers must have mighty easy times.” 

“Well,” said he, “for sea-faring men, they 
do have about the easiest times a-going. ’Cept 
when they gets a wrack, and then a crew has 
about enough to do in a week to last them lor a 
year. What with getting a wrack off, or a- 
saving of her cargo, and a-taking on it to Key 
West, and every thing about it, why the crew 
has a-plenty to do, I tell you,” 


OR FRED RANSOM. 143 

*^How do you kill all your spare time?” I 
asked. 

We gin’rally get plenty of liberty on shore, 
and the Keef is fairly alive with fish and turtle, 
and such like. We can’t hardly miss catching 
something, even when we re ofi‘, just for a spell, 
to cut wood for the schooner. Then a man can 
stand a precious lot of sleep, if he practises at 
it. But you ain’t a-goin’ to complain about not 
having enough work to do, be you ? If you be, 
I guess you ’ll find some of the crew as ’ll ac¬ 
commodate you with some of their ’n.” 

You had better believe I don’t intend to com¬ 
plain about that,” said I, laughing, ‘‘but I 
thought wreckers were every day pitching 
around off shore in a heavy sea, or floating 
about on rafts and saving people’s property and 
hves, and doing all sorts of desperate things, 
and when I began to suspect how different it 
was, I felt like asking some questions—that ’a 
all.” 

“ You may see more of jest that sort of thing, 
of pitching around, etcetery, than you care for, 
before your times’s out,” said Buggies. “But it 
do n’t happen every day, because it do n’t storm 
every day, and ships is n’t lost along the Beef 
every day it does storm. Wrackers is like an 
army preparing for battle; easy times in camp, 


il4 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

aiid then blue blazes, and then easy times, and 
blue blazes again." 

“ That reminds me, Bill," said I, to ask you 
why the schooner has arms aboard. The Indians 
about here are peaceable, are they not ?" 

Oh, yes," replied Buggies, ‘‘ the Indians 
around here is peaceable enough. They re 
the Spanish Indians; but you know the Semi¬ 
nole Indians, to the northward of them, are at 
war now with Uncle Sam, and Indians is a 
curous set. You don’t know where to have 
’em; they ’re peaceable with you one day, and 
your throat’s cut afore morning. I expect the 
owners think it’s about as well to be on the safe 
side, and keep arms aboard the schooner." 

But, Bill," said I, “ what is the use of peo¬ 
ple’s having arms, if they are not always ready 
to use them. We did n’t keep any watch on 
deck last night, did we ? What is it to prevent 
Indians from capturing the vessel at night ?" 

‘‘ Nothing, as I knows on," Buggies replied, 
’cept what I told you just now, that Indians is 
curous critters. They’ve a mortal fear of tack¬ 
ling a vessel. Tlmre’s nothing they be afeard 
to try ashore, if there’s plenty of trees and 
bushes around, but they do n’t like the looks of 
ji vessel. Perhaps it’s because it seems such a 
mighty big thing to their canoes, and besides, as 
I told you, it’s against the natur of Indians to 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


146 


do any fighting, unless there s plenty of woods, 
or other cover around, and if they attack a ves¬ 
sel, they Ve got to paddle off to her jest as if it 
was open ground, only worse, because on open 
ground they could scatter if they wanted to, 
but in canoes they’d be huddled together.” 

Do the men go armed, whenever they go 
ashore ?” I inquired. 

“ Mostly,” said Buggies, when they go to 
the main-land; leastways, it's been so ever since 
I Ve been here; but on the Keys, we ’re not 
always so partic’lar.” 

*^Why, when you land on a Key,” said I, 
'^how can you tell that there may not be Indians 
from the main-land there, prowling around in the 
mangroves. Their canoes could be hid, just by 
hauling them their length from the edge of the 
shore.” 

'^Well, we don’t know, that's a fact,” said 
Buggies, ^‘but it’s jest a risk we run, some¬ 
times. I reckon it is n’t much of a risk though, 
for as I was a-telling you, these Spanish Indians 
are peaceable-like. Still what’s the use of 
having arms if you don’t carry them, I say, 
and I do n’t trust an Indian nohow. It’s a’most 
as easy to take the arms in the boat, as to leave 
them behind, but the wrackers’ crews has got 
used to knowing there’s Indians around that 
seem to be peaceable inclined, and I reckon 
13 


146 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

that's the reason they often forget to carry 
their arms. But I often says, boys, would n’t 
it be safer if we’d bring some muskets along, 
for, says I, if we meet Indians, says I, and they 
get to know we ’re in the habit of going without 
arms, it might n’t be safe for us. My belief, I 
says, is, that the Indians gin’rally thinks the 
crews has arms along with ’em in the boat. 
I’ve met parties of Indians several times, when 
I’ve bc«3n with a boat’s crew over to the main¬ 
land, but they never troubled us. They ’re 
always asking for tobacco, but they ’re very 
civil.’' 

Eeady, about!” sang out the man at the 
helm. 

Bill Buggies left me, and ran to tend the jib- 
sheets. 

^'Helm’s a-lee,” again sang out the man who 
steered. Then came the rattling of blocks, and 
shaking of sails, as the schooner ran up into the 
wind, and went about. 

^^Draw away !” shouted the helmsman. 

Bill Buggies and the man with him tending 
the jib-sheets, eased them away, and Bill re¬ 
turned to me, saying, 

We ’ll fetch our anchorage on this tack 

^‘Is there any thing to prevent oui gouigj 
ashore, when we come to anchor?” I inquired. 
“The captain has had his dinner, that clears 


on FRED RANSOM. 


147 


me. Is there any thing for the crew to do? 
Wouldn’t you like to go? How do you think 
that the rest would like to go ?” 

“ I ’ll go quick enough,” said Ruggles. ’ll 
jest see who else ’ll like to go, and one can ask 
for all. It won’t be more than ten minutes 
afore we’ll be at anchor, and as soon as the 
sails is furled, I reckon the captain ’ll give us 
liberty, if too many do n’t ask. I reckon there ’ll 
be enough of the crew that won’t want to go, 
for any work that the captain may have to do 
this afternoon.” 

Buggies inquired, and found that John Linden 
and one of the other Conchs, named Thomas 
Deal, wished to go, and also the Irishman, whose 
name was Dennis Brady. They and Buggies 
and I would make a party of five,—a very 
good number,—four to row, and one to steer the 
boat. I was deputed to go and ask permission 
of the captain, who readily gave it, on con¬ 
dition that the sails should be furled before we 
started. 

All right,” said I, addressing Buggies, as i 
rejoined him. “We can go after all hands furl 
the sails.” 

“ Come, boys,” cried he, putting his head 
down the hatchway, “ tumble up here, and stand 
by to furl sail the moment we let go our 
anchor. The captain says we can go.” 


148 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


In the course of a quarter of an hour, the 
vessel was lying at anclior, with every thing 
snug, and the men lowered away one of the 
quarter-boats, and began to put various things 
into her. 

‘‘Let’s take every thing,” said Linden, “har¬ 
poon, grains, and a couple of muskets, and then 
we ’ll be ready for any game that comes along.” 

Jack seeing all these preparations, was seized 
with so intense a wagging of his tail, that he 
almost wagged his hind feet off the deck. 

“ Old Jack wants to go,” said I, “ I guess we 
can take him without asking permission, can’t 
we?” 

“Oh yes!” said Euggles; “here, you men, 
lend a hand and help him into the boat. That’s 
it, take hold, two of you, e-a-s-y now with 
him.” 

“ My I but it’s the nate way he has to get 
aboord,” exclaimed Brady, as Jack scrambled 
down the side of the schooner. “But he’s the 
wise one, though, and if he was n’t so cloomsy, 
bedad I he’d be the image of the dorg I had in 
- the ould counthry.” 

“ Gammon, Dennis 1” said Paiggles, very un¬ 
ceremoniously, as he shoved off from the vessel, 
and took his seat at the tiller. “You never had 
a Newfoundland.” 

“ It’s the thruth that I’m t’lling ye,” said 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


149 


Brady, givtng way lustily with his oar. '' The 
finest dogs in the worruld comes from Ireland. 
Me ooncle has a pack of Newfoundlands.” 

A pack of Newfoundlands!” said Bungles, 
shouting with laughter. 

Aye I” rejoined Brady, it's a pack of New¬ 
foundlands; an’ sure, and what is there so quare 
about that? On an eshtate like me ooncle’s, 
about half the size of Floridy, a great many 
dorgs is naded.” 

“Well, suppose there is,” said Buggies, 
“Newfoundlands ain’t hunting dogs, be they? 
What are you talking about packs for ?” 

“ There’s where you ’re out,” replied Brady, 
“for it’s jest for huntin’ me ooncle keeps ’em, 
for the stags in Ireland is so big, that nothin’ 
short of a Newfoundland is equal to pullin’ ’em 
doon.” 

“ Nonsense I” said Buggies, “ if a Newfound¬ 
land can pull them down, he can’t ketch ’em.” 

“ And that’s jest where you ’re out agin,” 
retorted Brady, not at all disconcerted, “ for 
that’s what I was jest a-going to tell ye when 
I was afther spaking about the dorg Jack being 
80 cloomsy. He’s cloomsier nor me dorg in 
Ireland. Me dorg was one from me ooncle’s 
raising, and, bedad I he’d beat any greyhound 
ye ever see run.” 

“That’ll do for one,” said Buggies; “I'll 
13 » 


150 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


swow, if that don’t beat cock-fighfmg. Now, 
jest you tell that to the marines.” 

‘‘An’ sure, and it’s the maranes is the sinsible 
min, compared with the likes of ye,” retorted 
Brady. 

Luckily, at this point in the conversation, the 
landing on the beach commenced, or there is no 
saying where tlie dispute would have ended, for 
Buggies being an Englishman, and Brady an 
Irishman, they were always sparring with each 
other. 


oy FEED EANSOM. 


151 


IK.'VXXX. 

THE BOATING PARTY LAND-A MISHAP BEPALLS 
DENNIS BRADY-HE SPEEDILY RECOVERS- 
RUGGLES AMONG THE CORMORANTS AND 
PELICANS-THE PARTY CAPTURE A JEW-FISH 
-TURTUING POSTPONED. 



had been blowing a pretty stiff 
breeze since early in the morn' 
mg, and as there was some surf beat- 
, ing on the beach of the Key on which 
we landed, the men jumped out of 
the boat, and ran her high and dry 
ashore. 

Brady had hardly leaped into the water, from 
his side of the boat, when he gave a cry of pain, 
let go of the boat, and hopped and hobbled to 
the nearest place out of reach of the surf, where 
he seated himself, and writhed about, uttering 
moans of distress. 

We quitted the boat, and ran to his assist¬ 
ance. 

** Howly Moses! Howly Moses I'" roared 



152 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

Brady, kilt entirely.” Hereupon, Le 

rolled over and over in a series of contortions 
accompanied with cries of Howly Moses.” 

He’s trod on one of them sea-urchins,” said 
Buggies. I Ve told him afore that he’d ketch 
it some of these times, if he jumped out of the 
boat barefooted. Here, Brady, my boy, hold 
still a bit, and I ’ll take the spines out with my 
jack-knife.” 

But Brady continued his cries and contortions, 
and went on as if he was mad. 

“ Brady,” remonstrated Buggies, ‘‘ you'd bet¬ 
ter let me pick the spines out: jest be quiet a 
minute. The longer they stay in, the worse 
it ’ll be for you, and your foot ’ll swell up the 
size of two.” 

At this, Brady seemed to return sufficiently 
to his senses to be able to keep still, and hold 
out the sole of his foot, which was bleeding and 
quivering with pain. Buggies knelt down be¬ 
side him, and commenced to pick at the flesh 
with his jack-knife. In a few seconds he re¬ 
moved a blackish splinter, as sharp as a needle, 
and then another, and another. 

Here, one of you, ’ said he, “ wet a hand¬ 
kerchief, a piece of shirt, or any thing you’ve 
got about you, so I can wash the sand and blood 
ttway.” 

One of the men brought a dripping handker- 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


163 


chief, and the sole of Brady’s foot, on being 
washed, exhibited about a dozen black marks 
where the spines had penetrated. Buggies now 
proceeded adroitly, and soon extracted the rest 
of the spines, although he was often interrupted 
by the wincing of Brady, who continued to ejac¬ 
ulate, Howly Moses!” 

^^Now they ’re all out,” said Buggies, gently 
washing the foot again, and depositing the heel 
on a flat piece of coral ledge, so that the sand 
could not get into the incisions in the sole, “ and 
I hope you ’ve larnt a lesson about jumping out 
of the boat barefooted. Them urchins is thick 
around here.” 

^^An’ faix, an’ is it urchins ye call ’em,” 
said Brady, recovering his tongue; ‘‘but it’s the 
quare name they has ! In Ireland, it’s the little 
byes as is urchins. The things in me fut is the 
divil’s own byes, bedad!” 

“Why, don’t you have sea-urchins in Ire¬ 
land?” said Buggies, maliciously, seeing that 
Brady was getting over his pain. “ I thought 
you had every thing in Ireland.” 

“ And there’s where ye ’re right,” replied 
Brady, not disposed to acknowledge that Ireland 
was deficient in any thing. “Barring snakes 
and toads, that Sint Pathrick druv away, 
there’s nothing we have n’t in the ould coun- 
thry. But, for a moment, I jest disremimbered 


154 THE YOUNG WHECKEE, 

the sea-urchins. In Ireland they grow to a 
wontherful size. On me ooncle’s eshtate that 
raches to the say-shore, he once had a line of 
thim set, jest to keep smugglers from landin’ at 
night.” 

‘‘ Now, Brady,” said Buggies, quit that. I 
believe what you got jest now was a punishment 
for the whopper you told in the boat, and here 
you ’re at it again.” 

A whopper, was it, indade,” said Brady, 
“ bedad, if you stuck to the thruth yourself, you 
would n’t be afther thinking other people did n't 
tell it.” 

“Well, it’s more’n I can do to believe some 
of your yarns,” said Buggies. “ I say, if Ire¬ 
land ’s such a fine country as you make it out, 
why do so many of you leave it ?” 

“ Why do we lave it: and it’s aisy to answer 
that. We ’ve got a duty to perforrum, to 
spread ceevilization in the worruld, and carry 
instruction to haythens like you.” 

“ You’ve got it. Bill,” shouted the men. 
“ He’s too much for you !” 

“ But it’s obleeged to ye I be for docthering 
me fut, and no offince,” said Brady, rising, 
and hobbling to the boat to get his shoes and 
stockings. 

“ Now, boys,” said Linden, “ what did we 
come here for? There’s no game about here. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 155 

Let 'a go back of the Keys, on the ilats, and see 
if we can’t find something to strike.” 

“ Hold a bit,” said Rnggles, I know what I 
want to do. I've been wanting for some time 
to get a pelican’s pouch to hold my smoking 
tobacco, and I'm going through the mangroves 
to a place where I know I can get a shot at a 
pelican.” 

“ I'm off now,” continued Euggles. “ The 
place is jest 'round the north end of the Key. 
I '11 walk along the outside beach until I get near 
the place, and then I '11 work through the 
mangroves, until I come in sight of the birds. 
You'd better launch the boat, and keep along 
the beach; but don’t keep out too far from 
shore, or the birds '11 see you, and I won't be 
able to get a crack at them. As soon as you 
hear me fire, you can pull away, and if my 
bird's dropped in the water, you '11 be able to 
get it for me. I only want one: but I reckon 
I '11 take both muskets along, so if I miss the 
first shot, I '11 have another one.' 

Kuggles and I walked along the beach for 
about half a mile, and, as we neared the end of 
the Key, we turned into the mangroves, and, with 
much difficulty, made our way among their roots. 
After going about a hundred yards, and slipping 
and stumbling around through the dense 
growth standing in water,—for the back part of 


166 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

the Key was below the level of the sea,—we 
began to distinguish the edge of the mangroves. 
Buggies crept cautiously forwaid, and I fol¬ 
lowed him until we got very near to the edge, 
and then moving a little towards one side, we 
came opposite to a slight opening, which proved 
to be a long and shallow inlet leading out to the 
waters back of the Key. 

Hist!” said he, “ do n’t make any noise.” 

I advanced cautiously to the place where 
he was standing, and thence I could see, 
through the opening, a little Key which was not 
more than forty yards off. In the branches of its 
mangroves, there were multitudes of pelicans 
and cormorants. They did not seem to be 
aware of our presence, and rested on the 
limbs of the trees, as if with a sense of perfect 
security. The pelicans had a peculiarly grave 
and ancient appearance, and they and the cor¬ 
morants seemed to be on excellent terms. The 
leaves of the mangroves, and the trunks of the 
trees were whitened with the droppings of the 
birds, for this was one of their favorite resorts. 

Shall I pop over that old grand-daddy of a 
pelican,” whispered Buggies, designating, with 
the muzzle of his musket, a very patriarchal- 
looking individual. He had hardly spoken 
before the stroke of oars was heard. The 


OR FRED RANSOM. 167 

wings of the birds all lifted simultaneously, and 
they arose in a cloud. 

No time for picking out a bird now,” said 
E-uggles, aiming at the nearest pelican. 

Bang, went the gun, and the pelican fell 
dead in the water, and the other pelicans flow 
rapidly away. Not so with the cormorants, 
however, for they continued to stupidly flap 
about in the air, hovering over the dead pelican, 
and sometimes descending to take a look at it, 
and then flying away a short distance, only to 
return. The temptation was too much for 
Buggies, who seized my musket just as a cor¬ 
morant was returning for another look, and 
shot it within three yards of the spot where 
the pelican lay on the surface of the water. 

There!” said Buggies, I hope you ’re satis¬ 
fied now I You was so curous about it, I thought 
I’d let you see how it felt. That s not what I 
did it for, though, Fred: I was only joking. 
What I shot him was for to see if the things 
can be made fit to eat. IVe tried ’em, and 
could n’t eat ’em, but Hannibal says they was n't 
fixed right, because the rank part’s the skin, 
and it ought to be took off; so I promised I’d 
fetch him one some time, and let him show what 
kind of a fist he*d make at cooking of it.” 

The sound of the approaching boat grew 
more distinct, but we kept along shore so as 
14 


158 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


to get to the beach, because it would have been 
impossible for the men to force the boat through 
the mangroves to the place where we were stand¬ 
ing, and if we had gone to the edge of the man¬ 
groves, we would have been up to our waists 
in water. After going a short distance, Bill 
Buggies sang out, 

‘‘ Boat ahoy!’' 

The sound of the oars ceased, and Buggies 
shouted again, 

‘‘ You ’ll find two birds in the water, abreast 
of the roost. You ’ll have to come back to the 
nearest point on the beach for us, there’s no 
getting out to the edge of the mangroves 
here.” 

“ Aye! aye!” was answered from the boat, 
v/hich we could not see on account of the dense 
growth, and the stroke of the oars recom¬ 
menced as we resumed our way towards the 
beach. As soon as we reached that place, we 
took our shoes off, and wrung out our stock¬ 
ings, for the water among the mangroves had 
sometimes been over ankle-deep. The men in 
the boat soon landed near us, having found the 
birds without difficulty. The pelican turned 
out to be a large one, with a very fine pouch, 
which contained a fish. Bill Buggies took the 
fish out, and then separated the pelican’s pouch 
from its lower bill. Brady commenced to pluck 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


159 


the cormorant; saying that it was the only thing 
he’d have to do with it, ‘‘ the rest might ate it 
and wilcome.” 

What kept you so long ?" said Deal, ** we 
thought something must have happened to 
you.” 

Something did happen to us,” said Euggles: 
we missed our way. But you ought n’t to 
have come around the point until you heard me 
fire. You came very near making me lose the 
birds. If you’d come a few seconds earlier, 
they’d have been off.” 

We gave you plenty of time. Bill,” replied 
Deal. A pelican pouch may be worth a heap 
to you, but there’s no use of spending all the 
afternoon getting it, 'specially when I know 
where we'd be pretty sure to find something 
worth having. There's apt to be turtle back 
of this Key. I know the place well. I was 
once on this station in the wrecker Susan Day. 
Jest back of here, about a quarter of a mile, 
there's some holes in the mud-flats, where I 
scarcely ever missed finding turtle.” 

Well, boys,” said Buggies, I'm very sorry 
if I've been a-keeping of you from going there, 
but you've only got to say the word, and we '11 
go there now. There's plenty of time. I 
do n't believe it's more 'n three o'clock. What 
would you say it was by the sun? Holdl 


160 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

Fred has a watch. What time is it by your 
watch, Fred?” 

Lots of time,” said P^nggles in reply to my 
announcement of the time, “ we sha’ n’t have to 
go off to the schooner until near dark. Come, 
let's start: be lively, Tom, you were in a big 
hurry jest now.” 

The men pul out their oars, and were rowing 
slowly along the southern edge of the inlet, 
and almost touching the mangroves with the 
tips of the port oars, when Linden stopped 
rowing, and held up one hand. 

“ Did you hear that, Tom, ?” said he, ad¬ 
dressing the other Conch, while we all listened 
to hear the noise to which he alluded. 

No,” said Deal, “ I did n’t. What was it?” 

** I’m certain I heard a jew-fish,” resumed 
Linden. ‘‘ Get out the grains, Tom, you Ve got 
the bow oar. Jest slip your oar in gently, and 
put the grains on the pole. TtTey ’re ready in 
the bow, with the line made fast. There it is 
again, do’nt you hear that?” 

At long intervals, a noise under water, like 
the sound of a muffled drum, reached our ears. 
Boom—boom—boom, it went. The men kept 
perfectly still, and not an oar was dipped into 
the water, while Deal skilfully unshipped his 
oar, and stepped lightly into the bow of the 


OR FRED RANSOM. 161 

boat, as he drew the pole after him, and at the 
same time adjusted the grains. 

should judge it must be as much as fift} 
yards off," said Deal. Do n’t make any 
noise.” 

Boom—boom—boom—boom, again went the 
Jew-fish. 

^^Give the boat the least bit of head-way,” 
said Deal, turning slightly around, and speaking 
to Linden and Brady: and you, Bill, steer as 
you see my grains point.” 

I left my seat by the side of Buggies, and 
crawled cautiously forward, until I could crouch 
down in the boat, behind the place where Deal 
was standing high up in the bow, and balancing 
his grains with the most perfect address. The 
bow had a stout grating set into it, about six 
inches below the gunwale of the boat, so that 
Deal was enabled to stand in a very command¬ 
ing position. I peered into the water, which 
was so limpid that I could distinguish old roots 
and shells lying on the bottom, and once 
in a while, we heard the jew-fish repeat the 
monotonous boom—boom. 

The men gave the boat only enough motion 
for steerage-way, barely touching the blades 
of the oars in the water. Suddenly, I saw the 
grains pointed in a certain direction, as a ges¬ 
ture from Deal, and a half turn of his head 
14 * 


162 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

towards Buggies, showed that he had discovered 
the jew-fish. I strove to penetrate the ob¬ 
scurity of the water in that direction, but my 
face was just above the gunwale of the boat, 
and I looked through the water at an acute 
angle, whereas Deal had the great advantage 
of looking from an elevation which increased 
the angle made by the line of vision with the 
surface of the water. But more than all. Deal 
had the advantage of a practised eye; and 
we had rowed three or four yards before I 
could distinguish the fish as it lay in the 
water under the overhanging boughs of man¬ 
groves. 

It was perfectly still, except the movement 
of its fins and tail, and lay just within the 
shadow of a tree, with its snout almost touch¬ 
ing the line in the water between sun-light and 
shade. The water was at least five feet deep, 
and at the shortest distance to which we dared 
approach, it would havei been impossible to 
strike the fish by throwing the pole like a dart. 
So Deal made a motion to the men to rest on 
their oars, and quietly dipping the grains below 
the surface of the water, he gradually extended 
the pole until the points of the grains were 
within six feet of the fish, and then, with a rapid 
shove, he transfixed it. 

Instantly, a tremendous splashing ensued, and 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


163 


the fish was darting away, when Deal took a 
turn of the line around a cleat in the bow of 
the boat. This proceeding nearly caused the 
loss of the fish, for it was very large, and the 
grains were not so secure that its powerful 
efforts to escape would not have eventually 
disengaged the tormenting irons. At last, it 
seemed on the very eve of breaking away, when 
Deal,—doing what would have occurred to no 
one but a Conch, or, certainly, what no one but 
a Conch could have done well,—jumped into the 
water, which was up to his arm-pits, and duck¬ 
ing below the surface, bestraddled the fish, and, 
at the same time, thrust each of his hands 
through its gills. In this position, he appeared 
above the surface, managing the fish as if it 
had been a restive horse. At one moment, he 
had it under control, and at the next, it would 
make a desperate effort, and carry his head 
below the surface of the water. If they had 
been left to fight it but in single combat, the 
jew-fish s chance of escape would have been 
quite as good as the Conch’s chance of pre¬ 
venting it. But Linden jumped into the water, 
and grappled with the fish, and, by the united 
exertions of the two men, they managed to 
hoist it into the boat, where it threshed 
around as if it would stave every thing to 


164 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


The capture of the fish was thought to be a 
sufficiently good piece of luck to serve for the 
afternoon’s sport, so it was decided to defer the 
turtling until another occasion, in order to have 
plenty of time to visit all the holes where Deal 
had stated that he was certain to find turtle. 
The men thought that if they started on the 
expedition now, it was so late that they might 
be chasing a turtle when the time came to go 
aboai'd of the Flying Cloud, 'in which case, 
they would be obliged to desist from the pur¬ 
suit. All hands agreeing to put off the ex¬ 
cursion until another occasion, the boat was 
turned towards the outer mouth of the inlet, 
and the men pulled towards the schooner. 

When we came along-side, the jew-fish, as 
the most distinguished passenger, was passed 
aboard of the schooner, and received by 
Hannibal and one of the crew, with many ex¬ 
pressions of admiration. 

“ You hab had luck,” said the ever-grinning 
African. ‘‘Jest right size, too, ’zactly, precise. 
I reckon he’s not over seventy-five, is he? 
When dey’s over a hundred, dey’s pretty coarse 
fish, but smaller size is very nice indeed, very 
nice indeed.’’ 

“ And the way he was cotched, was a caution, 
cook,” said Brady, as he came lamely up the 
Bide of the schooner. “It’s the first time in 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


165 


me life, this blessed afternoon, that I seen a fush 
rid, barring the little marble byes, widoiit 
any clothes on, that sits a-top o’ dolphins 
unthrer fountains. But it's me belafe 
thim Conchs could live in the wathor with 
aiso.'* 


166 


THE YOUNG WRECjCER, 


THE FLYING CLOUD INSPECTS THE REEF- 
CAPTAIN BOWERS SENDS THE MEN ASHORE 
FOR WOOD-BRADY HAS BAD LUCK AGAIN. 



HE next morning, at daylight, the 
schooner’s sails were set, her an¬ 
chor weighed, and she sailed up the 
Eeef, until we sighted the wrecker 
approaching from the next station. 
Then she sailed down the P^eef, pass¬ 
ing her anchorage, and continuing 
her course until we sighted the wrecking sloop, 
which was under way from the station in that 
direction. Then the course was reversed for 
the second time, and she returned to her an- 
chorage, after having been under way for five 
or six hours. 

This was the daily mode of procedure, but it 
was not invariable. The object of the wreckers 
is to survey the Pveef, daily, throughout its 
whole extent; and the only test which ean be 
afforded that it is effectually accomplished, is by 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


167 


sighting each other in both directions, and thus 
they see that there is no wreck in the inter¬ 
vening space. 

On the morning of which I spoke, when 
we came to anchor, furled the sails, coiled 
away ropes, and got every thing in good order, 
it was between twelve and one o’clock, and we 
took dinner. Soon after it was over, the cap¬ 
tain ordered the men to lower away one of the 
quarter-boats, and go ashore to cut wood for 
the schooner. Probably seeing my wistful look 
towards the preparations, he said, ^ 

“ If you want to go, you can go, Fred,— 
that is, if you have got through with your 
duties.” 

‘‘ I have nothing to do, sir,” I answered; 

unless you have something particular that you 
wish done.” 

No,” said he, nothing. If you’ve finished 
your regular duties, be off with you.” 

The men, having provided themselves with 
axes and a keg of drinking water, placed them 
in the quarter-boat used for the purpose of 
wooding, and then lowered her from the davits. 
Jack was immediately seized with an anxious 
wagging of his tail, accompanied with alternate 
prostrations and gambols, in the midst of 
which he was gratified by being deposited in 
the boat. 


168 


THE YOUNG WRECHER 


The crew of the boat consisted of Ruggles, 
Brady, Linden, Deal, arid another CoiAch, and, 
as she pulled five oars, each man took an oar, 
and I occupied the stern-sheets, and steored for 
a point to which I was directed to head. The 
men gave way with a will, and in the course of 
fifteen minutes we landed on a Key a little 
over a mile distant from the schooner. 

One of the party was left in charge of 
the boat, and the rest proceeded into the 
thicket, which soon rang with the quickly 
descending strokes of the axe. Buggies, Lin¬ 
den, Deal, and Brady, composed the party of 
woodmen. While the first three men were 
engaged in cutting down trees, Brady was 
employed in lopping ofi* the branches and 
twigs of those which had been felled. The 
party worked steadily for about half an hour, 
and began to feel so much heated with their 
exertions, as to wish for the water that had 
been left in the boat. Accordingly, I was de¬ 
spatched to help tlie boat-tender to carry the 
little keg to the place where the men were at 
work. 

We soon returned with the keg, and the men 
drank the water greedily. The afternoon was 
sultry, and, in the midst of the mangroves, 
where not a breath of air stirred, the heat was 
intense. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


169 


“ It 's SO moighty warrum in here,” observed 
Brady, “ I think I 'll take off me shirrut before 
I do any more chapping.” 

You’ll be stung by mosquitoes, if you do,” 
said Linden, as he observed Brady stripping off 
his woollen shirt, and tightening the leathern 
strap around his waist. 

The muskatees is n’t so bad as the hate,” 
replied Brady, placing his shirt on the fallen 
trunk of a tree, and seating himself on it, as 
he hauled a branch towards him, and com¬ 
menced to trim off the twigs. And I’ve a 
notion, byes, to try the plan a naygur once told 
me was good for muskatees.” 

What was that, Brady ?” said Linden, pick¬ 
ing up his axe, and taking an occasional chop at 
a neighboring tree. 

^‘Jest what you see,” said Brady, ^'nothin' 
shorter, to sit in me buff. I wunst landed on 
one of thim Kays to the southward, and I see 
a naygur wid his pants strapped ’round his 
waist, and widout a rag of a shirrut. I says, 
^ain’t ye afeard to go that way for the muska¬ 
tees.’ ‘ No, indade,’ he says, ‘ for this way they 
can ’t get a good holdt o’ me.’ ” 

You wait till sundown dressed that 
fashion,” said Buggies, and they ’ll leave so 
little of you, they ’ll have nothing to take hold 
on, sure enough.” 

16 


170 THE YOUNG WHECKER, 

“Be me troth," replied Brady, “ I've had 
enough exparience already, I'or I fale the var¬ 
mints stingin’ me awful. I '11 put on me shirrut 
widout any more loss o’ time." 

The woods once again resounded with the 
vigorous blows of the axemen, as Brady slowly 
arose, picked up his shirt, and pulled it over 
his head. As he slipped his arms into the 
sleeves, he uttered an exclamation, hurriedly 
tore the shirt off, and dashed it away from him 
into the bushes. 

“ What's up now," said Linden, dropping his 
axe, and walking up to Brady, as he stood 
rooted to the ground, and clasping one of hiS' 
^ arms. 

“ The mather is I'm bit wid a scorpion ; look 
at thut," said Brady, exposing the place where 
the scorpion had struck him, and which was 
already beginning to swell from the animal’s 
venomous sting. “ Murther, but it’s the bad 
luck I have !" 

“ Be still, Brady," said Linden, “ it hurts 
bad, but it is n’t dangerous. I never knowed 
any one to die of it, ’cept an old woman in Key 
West, and the doctors didn’t say positive. 
Put on your shirt, and we ’ll go right aboard 
and get some hartshorn from the captain’s chest: 
that’s the best thing for it.” 

The men had all desisted from their work 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


171 


and grouped around Brady. His shirt was picked 
up and carefully inspected, and he had again 
pulled it over his head, and proceeded to about 
the same point in his dressing as in the former 
attempt, when he suddenly stopped, and tore it 
off as rapidly as before. 

^Ht’s bewutched! it’s bewutched!” he shouted, 
as he threw it from him. I’m bitten all over 
me chist and me arrums.” 

He was, indeed, stung very severely. The 
scorpion, or whatever it was, had managed to 
wound him in half a dozen places, during the 
short time that he was engaged in extricating 
himself from his shirt. A couple of the men 
started towards the boat with him, while the 
rest picked up the shirt and reexamined it. 
The second inspection proved more successful 
than the first, for the scorpion was found in one 
of the folds of the shirt. One of the men 
speared it with the point of his knife, and I 
had an excellent opportunity of examining it 
as we walked towards the boat. This specimen 
of the animal was about six inches in length, 
including the tail, which was composed of 
several joints terminating in a sharp hook. 
The body is provided with a' pair of crab¬ 
like claws, with which the animal seizes its 
prey. 

As soon as we reached the shore, we got into 


172 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


the boat, and put off towards the schooner, 
where we delivered Brady into the hands of the 
kind captain, who assured him that the stings, 
although numerous and painful, would not prove 
fatal, and led him away to the cabin, to undergo 
the usual treatment of hartshorn. 

When we had committed Brady to the charge 
of the captain, we took another man in his 
place, and returned to the beach, to load ■ the 
boat with the wood that had been cut. In the 
course of an hour, during which we each made 
several trips between the woods and the boat, 
we managed to stow her so full that she was 
almost gunwale deep in the water. 

The sun had almost set by the time the men 
had unloaded their freight of wood, sawed or 
chopped it up, and thrown it into the hold of 
the schooner. 

Every now and then one of them went to see 
how Brady was getting along. He had turned 
into his bunk, and, although suffering pain from 
the numerous stings of the scorpion, was not 
by any means in a dangerous condition. But 
like most of his countrymen of his class, under 
similar circumstances, he wfis despondent. It 
was useless to tell him that no one on the Reef 
had ever been known to die of the sting of a 
scorpion; his ready tongue always had some 
reply which he considered a reason. When 


OR T?KED RANSOM. 


\ 7 % 

I tried to console him by this statement, he 
said: 

** An’ sure, an’ thim as lives on the Kafe has 
got used to it, one bite at a time, but be the 
powers, I ’ve got enough pison in me to kill 
an illiphant.” 


15 ^ 


174 


THE TOUNG WKEOKER, 



THE MEN ARE SENT ASHORE AGAIN~THEY RE¬ 
SUME THE WOODING OF THE SCHOONER-HAN- 
NIBAL PROVIDES THEM WITH A TREAT FOR 
SUPPER. 



HE next day, after making our 
usual cruise, the captain ordered 
a boat’s crew to go ashore to procure 
more wood. The men sent were the 
same as those of the preceding day, 
excepting Brady, who was convinced 
that his wounds were mortal, and per¬ 
sisted in declaring that his days were num¬ 
bered. 

I did not join the party until they had 
brought several loads of wood aboard the 
schooner, when, as my duties were finished, and 
I found myself at leisure, I received liberty to 
go wooding with the rest. More than that, the 
captain gave me a general permission to ac¬ 
company the men whenever I desired to do so, 


Oil FRED RANSOM. 176 

only stipulating that I should be certain that 
my work was finished. 

When we returned to the schooner, it was 
time for supper, and Hannibal hurried the men 
to eat it, ostensibly that he might get his pots 
and pans cleaned before dark. There was not 
much deliberation on the part of the men. The 
wood was soon unloaded, and the boat hoisted 
up to the davits. Two or three of the crew 
seated themselves on the coamings of the hatch¬ 
way, and a couple on water casks, while one 
or two stood or walked around. Hannibal 
brought supper, and the men commenced to eat 
heartily. The meal was fairly earned by the 
hard labor of wood-chopping. 

Here’s you’ comorant. Bill,” said Hannibal, 
bringing his last dish from the caboose. 
“ He’s nice, I tell you, sah. I save him for a 
treat.” 

Buggies received the dish, which had a very 
savory look, but the smell of it was any 
thing but appetizing, being decidedly fishy. 
He looked at it rather dubiously, and then 
asked Hannibal whether he had skinned the 
bird. 

Yes, sah; ehery bit of skin is off him,” re¬ 
plied Hannibal. He’s mighty good bird, sah; 
plump as patridge.” 

Here, Hannibal,” said Buggies, after giving 


176 THE YOUNG WHEGKER, 

a sniff at tlie disli; I reckon I’ll let you eat 
it: there’s hardly enough for all.” 

“ After you’s manners, sah,” said Hannibal. 

I fix him up beautiful, sah. You must take 
jest small bit, ’cause I cook him ’special for 
you.” 

‘‘ Cook, I do n’t like the smell,” said Euggles. 

If all hands ’ll try a piece at the same time, 
I won’t object. What say, boys? I’ve heerd 
tell they’re first-rate -without the skin.” 

The men assenting to the trial, each one was 
provided with a small piece of the cormorant, 
and held it between finger and thumb; and it 
was agreed that, upon counting three, each man 
should put his piece into his mouth. I hap¬ 
pened to glance towards Hannibal, and saw 
him quaking all over in a fit of chuckles. 

One,—two,—thr-ee,” counted Buggies, and 
each man smilingly placed his morsel of cor¬ 
morant in his mouth. Each chewed once or 
twice, then stopped abruptly, and gazed at the 
rest with rigid gravity. Human nature could 
not stand it. Every one’s gorge had risen at 
the revolting dish, and, without one word, 
the whole party scrambled to their feet, and 
spat and sputtered over the side of the 
schooner. 

'' Yah ! yah ! yah ! yah !” screamed Hannibal, 
dancing a fi antic jubah, in the excess of his 


OR FRED RANSOM. 177 

delight. I spect I put too much pepper in 
him. Yah! yah I yah!" 

The men rinsed out their mouths, then 
swallowed some water, and gradually joined in 
the mirth of Hannibal. 

^‘That's my last trial of cormorant," said 
Buggies. I think it’s rather worse without 
the skin: it tastes like rancid fish-oil. I say, 
Hannibal, how's Brady, this evening ?" 

He’s ruther better," replied Hannibal. I 
reckon he’s guv’ up the notion he was gwine to 
die." 

say," resumed Buggies, winking around 
the group, let’s ofier Brady some." Brady, 
my boy," he continued, leaning back, and hol¬ 
loing down the hatchway, “here’s a treat 
we’ve got. Hannibal understands fixing cor¬ 
morant so it tastes as sweet as sucking-pig.” 

“ As you’ve only one burrid,” said a voice 
from below, “ I could n’t think o’ deprivin’ ye 
of it." 

“ We’ve plenty to spare," said Buggies, wink- 
around again at the group of men, who were 
nearly sufibcated with laughter. “ I’ve heerd 
tell it’s good for the blood, when a man’s been 
stung by a scorpion.” 

“ Arrah, go ’lang wid ye!" replied the voice, 
** I ’ll not tech a bit of it I I prefare, like the 


178 


THE YOUNG WEECKER, 


gintry, to take me mate and me fusK on two 
siparate plates.” 

He’s getting well,” observed Buggies. 
‘‘When a doctor prescribes for an Irishman, 
he needn’t never examine any thing but hia 
tongue,” 


OB FRED RANSOM. 


179 


szxi. 

THE MEN GO TURTLING - THEY MEET AN AC- 
C^UAINTANCE TO WHOM THEY PAY MARKED 
ATTENTION-SOMETHING ABOUT TURTLES- 
WHAT SWITCHEL IS-A GARDEN ON THE BOT¬ 
TOM OF THE SEA. 



T blew a norther for three days 
after the day of which mention 
has been made in the last chap¬ 
ter. An unusually bright look-out 
was kept on the Reef, but nothing 
appeared to reward the vigilance of 
the wreckers. 

On the fourth day, the weather was as clear 
as ever. In Florida, when the weather is fair, 
nothing can exceed its serenity. The temper¬ 
ature in the shade is delightful, the atmosphere 
the purest ether. 

On the day to which I allude, after returning 
from our usual survey of the Reef, there hap¬ 
pened to be nothing for the men to do, so they 
asked and received permission to go upon the 



180 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

turtling expedition which had been projected 
on the a:ternoon of the capture of the Jew-fish, 
and deferred until an occasion when the party 
could have ample time to prosecute their search. 
As I had finished my work for the afternoon, by 
the captain’s terms according me leave at all 
times that my duties were finished, it was per¬ 
missible for me to go with the turtlers, and I 
gladly joined their party. The men provided 
themselves with the usual gear, with one addi¬ 
tion,—an instrument called a peg, used for 
striking the hawksbill turtle. The hawks- 
bill turtle is found in considerable numbers 
in the waters of Florida. This is the tur¬ 
tle from which the shell called tortoise-shell 
is procured. The material is too valuable to be 
rudely perforated by the grains, if avoidable, 
and the use of the peg insures the capture 
of the animal with the least possible injury to 
its shell. 

The peg is a very simple instrument, con¬ 
sisting merely of a sharp point of iron with a 
shoulder and socket. The manner of using it 
is precisely like that adopted with the grains. 
Instead of the grains, the socket of the peg is 
secured with a line, and placed on the end of a 
long pole. When the shell of a turtle is punc¬ 
tured by a blow from the peg, the hole closes 
slightly after the passage of the shoulder of the 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


181 


instrument, which is thus fastened in the place. 
In fact, the operation of the peg in securing a 
turtle is more certain than that of the grains, 
for the great barbs of the latter often fracture a 
turtle's shell so materially as to cause the grains 
to “ draw.” 

When the little turtles are hatching, under 
the influence of the sun, as fast as they extricate 
themselves from the sand in which, as eggs, 
they have reposed, their instinct at once carries 
them down to the water. I have sometimes 
seen dozens of them, little black objects, not 
much more than an inch in length, making 
their way towards the sea, while, collected all 
around, perched birds of prey, eagerly watching 
them, and restrained from devouring them only 
by my presence. 

As we were rowing towards shore, I held my 
face close over the gunwale of the boat, ex¬ 
amining the many objects, beauteous in form 
and color, that made a garden of the bottom of 
the sea; and it was not until we had passed the 
inlet, and our boat s keel commenced to touch 
the mud-fiats, that I was obliged to relinquish 
my inspection of the bright borders of that 
dark, vast, mysterious, realm. 

Our boat entered the inlet to the southward 
of the one in which Deal struck the jew-fish, 
and after passing the narrow line of Keys, I, for 
16 


182 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

the first time, found myself in the waters which 
form the broad and shallow bay between the 
Keys and the rhain-land. 

The men were all agog to find a turtle. The 
line was coiled, the grains were adjusted on 
the pole, and the pole itself was carefully laid 
amidships, with the barbs pointed over the bow 
of the boat. Owing to the direction of the 
wind that had been prevailing for some time, 
the water was lower than usual, and the boat’s 
keel dragged so heavily that the men unshipped 
their oars, and used them to pole the boat over 
the flats. We had progressed in this manner 
for twenty or thirty yards, when Linden sang 
out. Shark! and we perceived the dorsal fin of 
the animal appearing above the water on the 
flat, about a couple of hundred yards in advance 
of the boat. 

In an instant, all thought of the turtling 
vanished. The boy-nature of the sailors, as 
well as their unrelenting hostility to the shark, 
instantly made them oblivious of every thing 
except the presence of the dark object ahead 
that floundered over the mud-flat in its efforts 
to work its way into deep water. The rudder 
was of no avail, now that the boat was almost 
as much on land as in the water, so it was 
unshipped, and the men stood on the thwarts, 
and poled vigorously with their oars, wliile I 


OB fRED RANSOM. 


183 


put out a short scull, and added my mite of 
Strength to aid in catching the monster. 

The tremendous noise made by our shouting 
and splashing soon apprised the shark that 
enemies were near, and it alternately lashed the 
water with its tail, and violently wriggled as it 
used the most desperate efforts to elude the 
pursuit. Over some places, the water was 
deeper, and then the shark made better pro¬ 
gress, then the water shoaled, and the shark 
found itself almost fast aground. But through 
or over whatever the shark went, whether fa¬ 
vorable or unfavorable, it was the same for us; 
for following as we did in its wake, we made 
good speed where it had met deep water, and 
were retarded, almost in the same degree, where 
it had floundered over shallow spots. I say re¬ 
tarded almost in the same degree, because we 
steadily gained upon the shark, and our only 
fear now was, that it would reach a channel 
that was discernible ahead, in the direction in 
which it was swimming. 

The men shouted and laughed and encour¬ 
aged each other to increased exertion. I never 
saw a more exciting chase. The water began 
to deepen gradually, where the shark was, and 
it was observed to make better speed towards 
the deep channel, which, however, was still a 
considerable distance ahead. We almost lost 



184 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

hope, the laughter died away, and tho po¬ 
ling was, if possible, continued ^ith increascid 
vigor. After going a few yards further, the 
boat gradually felt more buoyant, and seemed 
nearly afloat. So was the shark, which had been 
in the same deep water for two or three min¬ 
utes. 

“ Give it to her, boys! shouted Ruggles. 

Lay down to it! Once more, my hearties ! 
There she slides ! Never say die !” 

The gurgling of the water, as it commenced 
to ripple against the bow of the boat, and the 
rapidly shifting oar-blades used in poling, showed 
our increased progress through the water, even 
if we had not perceived that we were gaining 
upon the shark. But the channel was then only 
about seven ty-five yards ahead of the boat, and 
the shark had the advantage of us by at least 
thirty yards, so that to catch it before reaching 
the edge of the channel, we would have had to 
make nearly twice its speed. 

Take your places, boys, and pull,” sang out 
Buggies. 

Every man dropped into his place, except 
Linden, who stood in the bow and poised the 
harpoon, and Buggies, who seized my little 
Bcull, and shoved and guided the boat with it. 
We came up with the shark when it was not 
more than fifteen yards distant from the edge 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


185 


of the channel, and Linden drove the harpoon 
into its body. 

Then ensued a scene that baffles description. 
The shark was still too much aground to run 
o:;t the line, and it struggled on, lashing out 
desperately with its tail. The men, armed with 
axes, hatchets, and oars, leaped from the boat 
and attacked it, and, for a minute, there was so 
close a fight, accompanied with shouting and 
splashing, that it looked as if, in the excite¬ 
ment, the men could not avoid maiming each 
other. Presently, the shark ceased to he vis¬ 
ible, and the turbid water failed to disclose its 
position. 

Some one halloed, Take care of your legs!" 
and then followed another scene of confusion, 
laughable to behold, as the men themselves 
perceived after they had tumbled head over 
heels into the boat; for they roared witn 
laughter, until they were obliged to hold their 
sides from exhaustion. 

Not a soul, however, ventured outside of the 
boat. The men waited patiently until the tur¬ 
bid water gradually became clear. As the gray 
clouds in the water slowly floated oflP, like fog 
dispersing before the influence of sunshine, a 
tinge of blood could be distinguished in it, 
and just below rested the carcass of the 
shark. 


16* 


186 THE TOUNa WRECKER, 

One of the men grappled it with the boat' 
hook, and pulled it towards him, when, as it lay 
along-side, it underwent, critical examination. 
It was not of the most dangerous species, called 
the white-shark, but it was a dreadful looking 
creature, about fifteen feet in length, and fur¬ 
nished with formidable jaws and teeth. 

It is erroneously supposed that the shark 
always uses several rows of teeth. It has 
several rows of teeth, but the inner ones lie 
flat, and seem to be designed by nature to 
provide the animal with the means of capturing 
its prey, in case of accident to the outer 
row. 

Sailors are not always so merciful to a shark, 
as to deprive it of existence without subjecting 
it to prolonged torture. Begirding the. animal 
as their most deadly enemy, they not infre¬ 
quently catch it and fasten to it a billet of wood, 
to serve as a float. With this appendage, the 
shark finds it impossible to sink so as to pro¬ 
cure food, and dies a lingering death of star¬ 
vation. Whatever opinion one may entertain as 
to the propriety of killing a shark,—and I think 
there can be no difference of opinion as to the 
right of man to destroy an animal so rapacious, — 
there ought to be no difference of opinion as to 
the practice of torturing it. The object of 
killing it is to prevent future depredations. 


OK FRED RANSOM. 187 

and mans ri^it and duty end with that 
act, which should be executed without the re¬ 
finement of torture. 

The chase had been so long and fatiguing, 
that the men felt like resting before starting on 
the turtling expedition, from which they had 
been diverted by disccvoring the shark. Be¬ 
sides, the party had made enough noise to 
frighten away any turtles, had they been in the 
vicinity. The men therefore sat down quietly 
in the boat, wiped the perspiration from their 
brows, and passed around a tin-cup filled with 
Bwitchel from the keg.* 

In the course of a quarter of an hour, they 
began to show signs of moving, and, by 
common consent, the boat was shoved off the 
flat into the deep channel, into which the shark 
had so nearly escaped. 

Here, after a short consultation, it was de¬ 
termined to remain back of the Keys, and to 
row along the channel, until we arrived opposite 
to the next Key towards the southward. 

I was allowed to steer, and Deal was stationed 
in the bow. With these dispositions, the four 
men at the oars gave way, and we shot rapidly 
along the deep channel. On this occasion, the 
boat had a yoke on her rudder, to which were 

♦ Switchel is made of water, with a little molasses and 

vinegar. 


188 THB YOUNG WRECKER, 

attached long tiller-ropes, which*enabled me to 
steer as I stood up in the stern-sheets and thus 
commanded a view of the whole bay. 

We had rowed a,mile, when Deal said: 

I see something ahead, but I can't make out 
yet what it is." 

I strained my eyes in vain. I could not even 
see any thing. I still needed the practised eye 
which enabled Deal to see an object long before 
I could distinguish it, and then to recognize it, 
when to me it was only faintly visible. 

What I have just said, was proved on this 
occasion. Deal sang out, Turtle asleep on the 
water," at the very moment I could do no more 
than detect the object which he had for a long 
time seen. 

Ease your oars, and pull as even as you 
can," said Deal, after the men had rowed for 
some distance. 

The boat glided noiselessly along, until we 
came within twenty yards of the turtle, when 
Deal whispered, 

Kest on your oars." 

The boat glided on, and Deal’s hand, brand¬ 
ishing the pole, gradually raised higher, until we 
were within five yards of the turtle. Tlien the 
turtle gave a nervous flirt as if it had suddenly 
awakened. But it was too late : Deal’s well-’ 
poised lance left his hand, and pierced the 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


189 


turtle's panoply, back-plate and breast-plate, 
through and through. There was little strug¬ 
gling. -The wound was so severe as almost 
to paralyze the animal, which was dragged 
aboard and dispatched. It proved to be a 
small green-turtle of about fifteen pounds in 
weight. 

This, the men considered a very small prize, 
although to me it seemed magnificent, and I 
could not sufiiciently admire the animal. Every 
one is so familiar with- the appearance of 
the green-turtle, that it needs no description 
here. I should say, however, that whatever 
points of beauty ’the green-turtle may have 
(and who can deny that the glossy, round¬ 
ing shell, the symmetrically scaled flij)pers, 
the cream-colored throat, the white under¬ 
shell, are points of beauty), it possesses them, 
when fresh from the water, in a far higher 
degree than after it has made a long voy¬ 
age, and lain for hours subjected to the heat, 
dust, and plaguing encountered in the streets 
of a city. 

The men, as I said, not being quite satisfied 
with so small a turtle, decided to keep along 
the channel, which still continued to run to¬ 
wards the southward, about parallel with the 
line of Keys, and about a mile distant from 
them. After rowing for a considerable distance, 


190 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

and finding nothing, we commenced to cross the 
flats, heading for one of the inlets that lead into 
the Beef Channel. Deal kept a lookout, and 
was soon rewarded by seeing something dash 
through the water. 

^‘Green-turtle, boys!" he sang out, “give way 
strong. It’s a buster." 

I now understood steering so well, that I was 
permitted to retain my place at the tiller. 
When I did not see the turtle, I was guided by 
observing the direction that Deal’s grains in¬ 
dicated. The flats, over which we were going, 
were much lower than the ones over which we 
had pursued the shark, and the boat did not 
draw enough water to make her touch bottom. 
The men gave way with a will, and sometimes 
we almost overtook the turtle, which seemed to 
swim by spirts. When we came within a few 
yards of it, it darted off with a quick cant to the 
right and then to the left; and so much, under 
these circumstances, does the swimming of a 
turtle resemble a bird’s flight, that one can 
almost imagine that he sees a huge hawk, with 
out-stretched wings, darting over the bottom of 
the sea. 

Eapid as the movements of the turtle were, 
they lacked continuous effort. Perhaps the 
animal became exhausted. Its flights became 
shorter and more spasmodic, until chancing to 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


191 


come across a hole, it no doubt deemed itself 
comparatively safe in the obscurity of the deep 
water, for it stopped and remained motionless on 
the bottom. And, in truth, it was very nearly 
out of our reach, for as the boat passed ovei 
the spot. Deal was obliged to lean, in an awk¬ 
ward position, far over the bow, and plunge the 
pole perpendicularly at the dark object on the 
bottom. 

But the stroke of a Oonch is unerring, and 
the poor turtle was transfixed. It was off this 
time with all its remaining strength. The line 
spun out until it grew taut, and the boat 
commenced to be towed through the water. 
But as she was towed along, three of the men 
got into the bow, and slowly, hand over hand, 
hauled in the line, until the turtle, still towing 
us, was brought close to the bow. Then a 
tremendous struggle took place, and the tur¬ 
tle, with the aid of a hampering line and 
the strength of four men, was hoisted into 
the boat. 

It was a fine animal, and must have weighed 
quite a hundred and fifty pounds, for I know 
that, when we reached the schooner, the men 
found it so heavy to pass up the side, that 
a tackle was lowered, and it was hoisted on 
deck amid the congratulations of the cap- 


192 


THE YOUNG WRECHER, 


tain and cook. To us, often condemned for 
days to a diet of fish and salt provisions, 
tlie capture of a turtle meant more than the 
mere gratification of appetite. It meant 
health. 


Oa FEED HANSOM. 


m 


XXXZ. 

The flying cloud rides out a gale-a dis¬ 
aster ON THE REEF-THE FLYING CLOUD 
ARRIVES THE DAY AFTER THE FAIR. 



HE month of November passed 
away amid scenes similar to 
those last described, alternated by 
the morning duty of carefully in¬ 
specting the whole Keef for several 
miles in each direction from our sta¬ 
tion. Towards the latter part of 
November, *there was one terrific storm, whose 
fury in the open sea we could realize by the 
Btress that it put on our ground-tackle, even as 
we lay protected, in a measure, behind the huge 
breakwater formed by the Reef. Experiencing 
the effects of the wind, without a heavy sea, we 
managed to hold on by letting go our sheet- 
anchor in addition to our other bower. 

The main violence of the storm expended 
itself at night, and was disastrous along the 
whole coast. When day broke, the ocean was 
17 



194 


THE YOTTNa wnECJtBH 


a mass of foam driven by the still raging tern* 
pest. We took a double-reef in all the sails, 
got under way to examine the Beef, and at last 
sighted the sloop towards the southward, by over¬ 
hauling her slightly, for she was under sail, and 
standing away from us. This fact apprised us 
that she had sighted something to the south¬ 
ward, and we kept on our course, knowing that 
we could not reach the scene of disaster as soon 
as the wrecker on the station below, but hoping 
that we would get there in time to be employed 
by those who- took the wreck in charge, and 
needed assistance from extra crews. 

We were disappointed again; for when we 
reached the place, quite a little fleet of wreckers 
was already assembled, and no assistance was 
needed, in addition to what could be rendered 
by the first-comer. The vessel which had 
struck upon the Reef was a smaM brig that 
had been so fortunate as not to strike until the 
Btorm had been blowing from the northward 
and eastward for several hours. In consequence, 
the water had by that time been driven towards 
Bhore in' so vast a quantity, that it was quite 
high on the Reef. In addition, the brig struck 
at a place where there was ordinarily rather 
more than the average depth on the Reef,—in 
fact quite a little channel. The vessel did not 
iraw many feet of water, so that every thing 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


195 


had conspired in her favor. She struck beam 
on, and, for a few seconds, all hands thought 
that they were lost. In the darkness, nothing 
could be ascertained, except that she was on 
shore, and the heavy shocks of the vessel, as 
she pounded on the Keef, seemed as if they 
would break her asunder. All the time she 
was nearing safety. After thumping violently 
for half a dozen times, she was found to be in 
deep and comparatively smooth water. The 
lead was hove, six fathoms were found, and 
she cast anchor. The brig had funded across 
the narrow Reef, and lay in the Reef-Channel. 
Had the water not blown in from the ocean; 
had the brig not happened to run aground in 
a place where there is a shallow channel; or 
even, with both these favoring circumstances, 
had she been a large ship, instead of a small 
brig, she would have gone to pieces. 

Instead of that, she was saved, although 
leaking badly; and, when morning dawned, the 
first wrecker that discovered her was engaged, 
and relieved her crew, who had been all night 
at the pumps, and were nearly exhausted. 
When we arrived, the pumps were still manned, 
but the water did not gain on them. The 
captain of the wrecker having the brig in 
charge had just been trying to stop a leak 
in her bow, and having been partially sue- 


THE YOUNG WEECKER, 


196 

cessful, he got her under way for Key West, 
with one crew at the pumps, and the other 
navigating the vessel. 

Thus ended the first wrecking scene that I 
witnessed. Subsequently, the Flying Oloud 
was more fortunate. 


\ 

i 

i • 


OB FEED BANSOM, 


197 


szxizi. 

FRED RANSOM GIVES SOME EXTRACTS FROM 
HIS JOURNAL, WHICH RECORDS SOME CURIOUS 
THINGS THAT HE SAW AND SOMETHING OF 
WHa ' HE DID AND THE NEWS THAT HE RE¬ 
CEIVED. 



^ VER siDce I had left Key West, 
I had kept a journal in which I 
jotted down the incidents of the 
day. If there was nothing except 
the regular routine of duty, I wrote 
it down in a short, business-like way; 
but if any thing of particular interest 
occurred, either aboard or ashore, I wrote it 
out at my leisure, feeling that the day might 
come when it might prove of interest to me or 
to others. 

On the 4th of December, my journal simply 


says: 

Wind K. N. W. Temperature moderate, at¬ 
mosphere clear. 

‘‘Got under way at daylight; sighted the 

17 * 


198 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


wreckers in each direction. Came to anchor 
in oiir usual berth. Afternoon very cool foi 
Florida.” 

The record of some days about the same 
riod, so vividly recalls my thoughts and actions, 
that I prefer to quote from it for a while, ra¬ 
ther than lo attempt to change its frankly- 
written expressions. 

December 6th. 

The wind has been all around the compass 
to-day. We had hardly reached our usual turn¬ 
ing-point at the northward, when the wind came 
out ahead, and that made it fair down the Reef; 
and we had hardly sighted the wrecker there, 
when the wind hauled sufficiently for us to lay 
our course back to the anchorage. 

‘^At the anchorage, the water was>remarkably 
clear to-day. In five fathoms of water, I could 
see every little shell on the bottom. I saw the 
most curious thing there. The men call it a 
sea-cat (there is also a fish of that name), and 
it did look like a cat. It was about ten or fif¬ 
teen fathoms astern of the schooner. It looked 
like a tortoise-shell cat coiled up, for it had yel¬ 
low stripes. I asked permission to take the dingy 
and get it, and the captain said I might, and 
Ruggles went along and helped me to grapple 
it with the killick.” 

‘ AVe took it aboard the schooner. The nearer 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


199 


we went up to it, the less it looked like a cat; 
but, at 'a certain distance, it was the image. It 
was nothing, either, but a sort of a sack of a 
substance about the the color of dirty flannel, 
and marked with tawny stripes and spots; and 
it was these marks that shaded the thing oft so 
well that it looked like a cat. There were the 
eyes and nose and legs and tail. We cut it 
open, and it moved up and down as if it was 
breathing, (but of course it was not breathing, 
for there were no lungs to breathe with), and 
every thing that it had inside of it was a 
thick concern like an entrail, and that was full 
of coral sand.” 

“ December 7th. 

The captain keeps a fish-car, fastened by a 
line to the stern of the schooner. He generally 
has lots of groupers (that is the most common 
fish about here, and they make first-rate chow¬ 
der), and they attract sharks to the vessel. I 
made up my mind to try to catch a shark, 
so I took three cod-fish hooks, and put their 
shafts together, and barbs pointing out. A 
shark took hold right away, and carried the 
hooks off as if they had been sugar-plums. 
The captain had given me permission to fish 
from the stern of the schooner, and, as he was 
in the cabin, he heard me halloo to Hannibal 
that I had lost my hooks, so he waiKed two or 


200 THE YOUNa WBECKER, 

three steps up the companion-way and handed 
me a big hook, which he called a shark-hook. 
It was about nine inches long, and had a 
short chain and swivel fastened to the end 
of the shaft. The caj^tnin says there must 
be a chain, because a shark will bite off any 
ordinary line, and there must be a swivel, 
even if there is a chain, because a shark 
will turn around so fast in the water that 
it will break or injure the line by twisting 
it, and with the swivel on the chain, it may 
turn as much as it pleases, it cannot twist 
the line. Hannibal baited the hook with a 
whole grouper, and I jerked the line as hard 
as I could. The shark did not pull heavily at 
first, and I began to think that I was going to 
haul it on deck all by myself; but I had scarcely 
got its nose out of the water, before it gave a 
dash, and whizzed out the line so as to burn my 
hands. I managed to stop the line with my 
foot, and give it a turn around a cleat, and 
then I called for the men, but the captain 
hallooed to me not to let them haul the fish on 
the quarter-deck; so I took hold with three 
men, and we led the line outside of the^ main- 
shrouds, and then hauled the fish along-side 
of the schooner. One of the men passed a 
running bowline, or slipknot, over the slim part 


OR FRED RANSOM. 201 

of tlie tail, just in front of the flukes, and the 
shark was soon hauled on deck. 

‘‘The men would cut it open (they always 
want to do that the first thing), to see what was 
in it. It seemed to me that we found almost 
every thing that had been thrown overboard 
for the last day or two. Hannibal found two 
old dishcloths that he had thrown away this 
morning, and there were Bill Kuggles’s rusty 
old tin coffee-cup that had been tossed overboard, 
and a pair of tarry overalls that had belonged 
to Linden. 

“ The stories that I used to read, that the 
position of a shark’s mouth obliged it to turn 
over on its back to seize its prey, are all non¬ 
sense. I recollect one that describes this po¬ 
sition as favorable for stabbing the animal. A 
shark’s mouth is a big, ugly slit, some distance 
from the animal’s snout, but the shark, in seiz¬ 
ing its prey, does not always stop, and it never 
turns over on its back. If it swims from a 
depth to seize its prey, it rises perpendicularly, 
like any other fish. If it and its prey are at 
the same depth, it darts horizontally, and, in 
passing, turns like lightning on one side, and 
uses its jaws. It is not a quick fish. Sailors 
say that- it cannot catch a bowline towing in 
the water. But that is an exaggeration. It is 


202 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

only a slow fish when compared with the 
quickest. 

** December 8th. 

The captain got Euggles to row him off in 
the dingy. He told me to come along, as he 
was going to fish, and I might keep him sup¬ 
plied with conch cut up for bait. We fished 
just abreast of the inlet, near the anchorage, 
and caught eleven groupers, two barracudas, 
and some grunts. After we got through fishing, 
the captain told Euggles to row slowly along 
the edge of the mangroves in the inlet, so as to 
keep in the shade of the trees. Here I found 
some shells called mickleemocks.* I had often 
seen them as ornaments in parlors, on side-boards, 
or on mantel-pieces. It is a sort of turtle¬ 
shaped shell with an even slit in it on the under 
side. The queerest part of finding them is, 
that I found them on trees (some of the boys 
at home would not believe that). They were 
stuck fast to the mangrove roots and boughs 
that were under the water, and the animals in 
the shells had such a power of suction, that yon 
had to pull them pretty hard to get them off. 
The captain told me not to take more than two 
or three, because they would make so much smell 

* Mickleemock is the sound of the word. It is a local 
name, is probably of Indian origin, and without fixed or¬ 
thography. 



Page *201 







































































































































































































































































































OR FRED RANSOM. 


203 


on the schooner before I could get the shells 
perfectly sweet. A couple of days ago, he told 
the men that, if they wanted to clean any more 
sponges, they must do it on shore, as he would 
not have such a smell on the schooner. The 
sponges, when drying, do smell awfully, that is 
a fact. 

We went off to the schooner about five 
o’clock, and I gave my shells to Hannibal to 
put in hot water, so as to kill the animals. 
To-morrow I will gouge them out as well as I 
can, and let the rest dry out, and take the 
shells home to— I was going to say,—to my 
father, but I do not know yet whether he will 
ever accept any thing from me. I wish that 
a letter from him would come. This suspense 
sometimes makes me very unhappy. 10 P. M. 
by the cabin-clock. It is so late that I m.ust 
turn in.” 

“ December 9th. 

'^This afternoon a sail was lowered in the 
water, so as to make a ‘ belly,’ as the men call 
it, and all hands went in bathing. The captain 
says that the men shall not go in swimming 
off the vessel, on account of the sharks about. 
The other afternoon I was looking overboard, 
thinking there were no sharks about, and 
wishing I could strip off and take a plunge, 
and I saw a thing, like a black shadow. 


204 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


coming from under the vessel, and it was a big 
shark. I gaess I thought the captain was right 
after that. We often talk of the poor Nor¬ 
wegian.” 

“ Decembee IOtit. 

“ Bill Buggies taught me to box the compass 
to-day. It seems hard at first, but it is very 
easy when you come to look into it. The 
mariner’s compass is divided into thirty-two 
points. It is divided into quarters by the four 
cardinal points, north, south, east, and west. 
The quarters are divided into eighths, the 
eighths into sixteenths, and the sixteenths into 
thirty-seconds. 

“ To recite the points in order, commencing 
at the first one west of north, is called boxing 
the compass backwards. 

‘‘ Seamen speak of half points. For instance: 
midway between south, and south by east, the 
place is called south by east, half south.” 

“ December 11th. 

This afternoon the captain had a new suit of 
sails bent on the masts of one of the quarter- 
boats ; and to try them, he took me and a full 
crew on a sail up the Beef, so as to have plenty 
of live ballast and crowd sail on, and to row 
back in case of necessity. The wind died away 
almost as soon as we left the schooner, but the 
captain kept on up the Beef-Channel, until 


OR RRER RANSOM. 


205 


nearly dark. Before dark, it was almost calm 
for a couple of hours, and the water was as 
smooth as glass. It was quite dark before 
the men had rowed half-way back to the 
schooner. The water is more luminous to-night 
than I ever saw it. When the oar-blades 
dipped into it, it looked as if a scum had 
been broken through, and showed below a lake 
of molten gold. On each side of the boat, 
a wing of flame spread out from the bow, 
and in her wake, she had a long fiery tail like 
a comet’s. The captain calls this water phos¬ 
phorescent, and says that it is caused by im¬ 
mense numbers of little animals that give out 
light. 

As ,we were rowing back, I asked the captain 
whether he did not think it was time for the 
arrival of our mail from Key West, and he 
said that he did. He said that he thought 
that if any letter was coming for me, it must 
have reached Key West, and the next mail 
from there would’ bring it. 

''Until the captain said this, it had never 
struck me that I might not receive some letter, 
good or bad. No letter would be the worst 
thing of all.” 

“ December 12th. 

"This is‘a black day in my calendar. The 
captarn told me that he wished me to prepare a 
18 


206 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


spare bertli in the cabin, as he expected his son 
within a few days. He said that he could not 
tell within a few days, but, that when last in 
Key West, he had told his son that he might 
come up the Eeef at the first opportunity that 
offered about the middle of December. 

do. not know what kind of a fellow the 
captain’s son will turn out to be. If I was only 
an officer of the vessel, or one of the crew! If 
the captain’s son is a nice fellow, and I belonged 
in the cabin, it would be splendid. It won’t be 
pleasant to be bossed by a boy no older than I 
am. I wonder whether it would offend the 
captain to ask him to let me go forward ? I am 
neitlier fish, flesh, nor fowl here.” 

“December 13th 

^^No signs of the captain’s son yet. The berth 
is ready for him. The captain has mentioned 
to me that his son alternately goes to school, 
and sails aboard of the Flying Cloud, as he is 
to follow wrecking for a livelihood. He is to 
be aboard during all this winter.” 

“ December 16th. 

The captain's son not arrived yet, and there 
is no mail yet. The captain's son’s name 
is George,—George Bowers. I do n’t know 
whether that sounds as if he was a good fellow 
or not.” 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


207 


“ Deckmeer 18th. 

Shall I never get a letter ? The captain 
says that a mail must be coming along pretty 
soon. Why don’t that fellow George come, if 
he is coming ?” 

“ December 19th. 

Captain’s son and my letter have both come 
together. Hurrah I I am the luckiest fellow in 
the world 1” 


.d. 





208 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 




ueORGE BOWERS AND THE LONG-EXPECTED 
NEWS FROM HOME-THE TIDE IN THE AFFAIRS 
OF FRED RANSOM IS AT THE FLOOD, WHICH, 
SHAKESPEARE SAYS, “ LEADS ON TO FOR¬ 
TUNE.” 


journal contains scarcely any 
thing on the 19 th of December, 
because so much happened, and I 
was so happy, that I could write 
nothing save an expression of de- 
light. 

We were lying at our anchorage, 
when, about four o’clock in the afternoon, a 
schooner hove in sight. I felt sure that on 
board were the captain’s son and my long-ex¬ 
pected letter. My heart failed me at the 
thought of what trouble the former, and what 
sorrow the latter might bring. In half an 
hour, the captain discovered that some one was 
making signals from the deck of the schooner. 
He closed his telescope, and calling me to him, 
said: 



OR FRED RANSOM. 


209 


I feel sure that George is aboard. I make 
out the schooner to be the Kate Ramsey, ’which 
was to leave Key West about this time, and 
aboard of her I see some one waving a hand¬ 
kerchief.” 

In half an hour more, the Kate Ramsey was 
flying by us, with the captain s son standing on 
the' quarter-deck, shouting, and waving his 
handkerchief. She rounded to, let go her an¬ 
chor, and lowered a boat. George Bowers de¬ 
scended into it with his seaman’s chest. In -a 
minute he was clambering up the side of the 
Flying Cloud, and shaking hands with his 
father, who led him away to the cabin. I was 
left on deck in ignorance as to whether there 
was any mail. I asked one of the seamen who 
was passing young Bowers’ chest out of the 
boat, whether he kriew if there was a mail from 
Key West. He said that he believed there 
was. Just at that moment, the captain put his 
head above the companion-way and said, 

Fred, tell the men to fetch that chest aft. ” 

The chest was taken aft, and down the com¬ 
panion-way, and my anxiety continued for a 
brief space longer, when I heard Captain Bowers 
call. 

Here’s a letter for you, Fred.” 

I ran eagerly aft, the captain handed me a let¬ 
ter, and then retired into the cabin. I was aion© 

18 * 


2lO THE YOtJHG WRECKER, 

on the quarter-deck. With an irresolute feel¬ 
ing, I turned the letter over once or twice, 
fearing to examine its contents. Then I des¬ 
perately broke the seal, and took out a note 
directed to Captain Bowers. Thrusting that 
into my pocket, I commenced to read my letter, 
the first words of which thrilled me with joy. 
This is it. 

“ New York, November 18th. 

My Dear Fred :— 

However good a son you may be (and I 
believe you to be a good son), you cannot 
comprehend a father’s love until you have 
been a father. Had I to forgive even dis¬ 
obedience, I would cheerfully do so, if you 
showed contrition. But you have not thus 
offended me, and I have not that to forgive. I 
have found you ever truthful, how could you 
then suppose that I might disbelieve your story? 
I thank Heaven that I can truly say, I do not 
doubt your word. Grief I have experienced, 
for when it was ascertained that you were 
missing and had probably sailed on the Cygnet^ 
I thought that, in an unguarded moment, you 
had been betrayed into committing an act of 
disobedience; but when I received your letter, 
my son, it completely reassured me, and brought 
such jov to my heai’t as none but a parent can 
kuow. 


< 


oil FRED RANSOM. 


211 


“ You liave been in fault, in not submitting 
to my judgment, and have had your punishment 
in the sorrow which you entailed upon yourself, 
and which I accept as full amends for your 
fault. 

“ If I knew exactly how you were situated, 
and what were your feelings, 1 could speak 
definitely. If I thought that you were radically 
cured of the desire to pursue an adventurous 
career, I should say, at once. Come home. Or, 
if I knew that you were suffering hardship, 
even if I thought you still imbued with the 
nonsensical spirit that possessed you, I would 
say, at once. Come home. But I do not know 
how you are situated, or what your sentiments 
are, and, therefore, I must trust to that honor 
which I have said that I believed you to pos¬ 
sess, and say to you this : If you are not suffer¬ 
ing hardship, or if you can not conscientiously 
state that you believe yourself to be cured of 
your disposition towards adventure, do not re¬ 
turn at present, but remain, in order that reality 
may blunt the keen edge of imagination. 

‘‘1 enclose a letter to Captain Bowers, thank¬ 
ing him for his kindness in taking you on his 
vessel, and requesting that if he does not desire 
to retain you longer, he will get you on board 
of some vessel on the Beef. As lads of your 
age may not be given any thing except their 


212 


TEE YOUNG WRECKER 


board, I have told Captain Bowers that ai;y 
owners in Key West may draw upon me, and I 
will be grateful to him if he will manage so 
that, wherever you are, you shall receive ten 
dollars a month. Good-bye, my son, and believe 
me that you have never forfeited my confidence 
or love. Your affectionate father, 

DAVID RANSOM.” 

While reading these lines, they appeared to 
lecome more and more blurred, as my eyes 
became suffused with tears, and when I had 
finished the last word, I could see nothing but 
a blank sheet of paper. Then welled up in my 
heart a thousand thoughts of mingled pleasure 
and pain. Memory poured its floods upon 
me, and,' disembodied, I crossed my father’s 
threshold, once more listened to his and to my 
dead mother’s voice and counsel; and then, at 
last, came a soothing sense of relief, and high 
above all my thoughts, sat enthroned the reso¬ 
lution that the future should prove me not 
unworthy of their patient love. I had passed 
through one of those crises which mould the 
conduct of a life-time. I wiped away my tears, 
calmly folded my letter, and, after waiting for 
a friw minutes, that all traces of agitation might 
disappear, I went down into the cabin, handed 
tht^ captain the letter that had been enclosed 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


213 


in mine, and, my usual deportment, with^ 
drew. 

While in the cabin, I could not avoid seeing 
George, who was examining me with boyish 
freedom. Despite the feeling I had had towards 
him, because I feared that his presence might 
materially affect my situation, I could not now 
help being prepossessed with the appearance of 
the fellow. He had a strong likeness to his 
father; the same good-natured face, the same 
florid complexion. I took him to be about a 
year younger than I was, and I felt sure that 
he was, mentally, rather younger than his actual 
years. He had a -towy head of short curly 
hair, that looked like the skin of a yellow 
poodle. He had blue, roguish-looking eyes, 
which seemed to indicate that the owner had a 
good deal of fun in his composition. All this 
I saw at a glance, and left the cabin, saying to 
myself, ‘‘ He is n’t such a bad-looking fellow 
after all.” But I thought to myself, an instant 
afterwards, that it probably made no difference 
to me; for my father had himself suggested to 
Captain Bowers the idea of my discharge, and, 
under present circumstances, and as the captain 
must feel that he had done his duty towards 
me, he would very likely avail himself of the 
opening that my father had afforded. 

The captain called me, and I returned to the 


214 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


cabin. He sat at the table holding my father a 
letter in his hand, and beside him was George, 
leaning both elbows on the table, and having 
an expression of great interest in his face. 

‘^Sit down, Fred,” said the captain. 

At this unusual request, I sat down on the 
nearest chair. Although I had always had a 
berth in the cabin, my use of the cabin had 
never extended beyond occupying it during the 
evening and night. 

“ Your father s letter to me,” said the cap¬ 
tain, addressing me, “apprises me of what is 
very gratifying to me to learn — that I have 
not been harboring a scamp. I did what I 
thought to be my duty in taking you aboard. 
You yourself must know that your story was 
very unlikely, but I gave you the benefit 
of the doubt. I did all that I thought was 
warranted by circumstances. Now, circum¬ 
stances have changed. I know you to be un¬ 
fortunate, instead of culpable, for your father 
tells me that he has implicit faith in your word. 
Of course, you can’t any longer be a cabin-boy 
aboard of this vessel (how sadly that made me 
feel); you are free to go by the first opportu¬ 
nity (I did not want to go now), and I will 
say in your praise, that I think, considering the 
trying position in which, for a boy of your 
bringing up, you have been placed, that you 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


215 


have shown remarkably good sense. Your 
father tells me that he has given you permission 
to come home, if you can honestly say that 
you are suffering hardship, or that you are 
completely cured of your craving for adven¬ 
ture.’' 

“ I cannot go then, captain, for I cannot hon¬ 
estly say either,” I replied. “ When must I 
leave the vessel, captain ? 

‘‘You are not obliged to leave it at all,” re¬ 
plied the captain. “ You do not intend to go 
home, then ?” 

“ No, sir, I cannot,” I answered. 

“ Then I myself have an offer to make you,” 
said the captain. “ George and I were talking 
over it before you came down, but I did not 
think it right to make it to you before,for fear 
of influencing your decision about returning. 
What would you say to remaining with me ?” 

“I would not ask any thing betler,” ex¬ 
claimed I, wondering how I could stay aboard of 
the Flying Cloud, as the captain had said that 
I could no longer be his cabin-boy, and he knew, 
as well as I did, that I was not fit to be one of 
the crew. 

“This is my offer,” continued the captain. 
“ My son George, here, is to be with me all 
winter on the Eeef. When he comes, he is 
obliged to lose schooling, in acquiring other 


216 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


knowledge. You are farther advanced in your 
studies than he. How would you like to stay 
with us and study with George and help him 
along? Would you consider your services paia 
by your board ?” 

I involuntarily started up from my seat, 
half-extending my hand, and then withdrawing 
it, with the feeling that I had taken a liberty. 

Give me your hand, my boy,’' said the 
captain, perceiving my embarrassment. You 
are no longer the cabin-boy, and you never 
have been, as far as my feelings were con¬ 
cerned.” 

Give us your hand,” said George, jumping 
up, and imitating his father’s example. Won't, 
we have jolly times !” 

No wonder that I wrote almost nothing in my 
journal that night. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


217 


THE KATE RAMSEY RELIEVES THE FLYINQ 
CLOUD ON THE STATION NORTH OF INDIAN 
KEY-THE LATTER SAILS FOR CAPE FLORIDA- 
FRED RANSOM AND GEORGE BOWERS LIS¬ 
TEN TO THE MEN SPINNING YARNS-BRADY 
EXCELS ALL THE REST. 



_^HAT a change had come over my 
prospects! One day the cabin- 
boy of a wrecker, and perhaps a 
disowned child; the next, the asso¬ 
ciate of my employer, the com¬ 
panion of his son, and a boy happy 
in the knowledge that he was still 
beloved at home. I felt that I could not be 
sufficiently grateful to God for his mercies to 
jne,—for having guided me to these kind 
friends, and blessed me with such confiding love. 

The Flying Cloud and the Kate Ramsey 
belonged to the same owners. The latter had 
orders to relieve us on the station, and we 
were ordered to occupy a station off Cape 
Florida. 

19 


218 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


The Kate Ransey brought us a supply of 
various articles of which we were in need, and 
also a very acceptable addition of tropical fruit. 
There were two barrels and a couple of boxes, 
containing cocoa-nuts, oranges, pineapples, 
yams, bananas, limes, sappodillas, and mammees. 
The last two I never fancied. They always 
tasted to me like a mixture of strawberries and 
turpentine. 

On the morning after the arrival of the Kate 
Ramsey^ the men were engaged for two or 
three hours in transporting the stores from one 
vessel to the other. Meanwhile, the captain 
wrote to his owners and family in Key West; 
and I availed myself of the chance to write a 
long letter to my father, and add it to the 
captain’s mail, which was left on board of the 
Kate Ramseyy That vessel, occupying our sta¬ 
tion, would soon be able to send the letters by 
some vessel sailing from Indian Key. Bidding 
a long farewell to our old anchorage, we set sail 
up the Beef. 

I found that George was very well acquainted 
' with the men, having frequently seen theni when 
the schooner was in Key West. On inquiry, .1 
ascertained that the reason I had not met him in 
Key West, was that he had been absent, having 
been at school at St. Augustine. George was a 
very communicative fellow, and the men learned 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


'219 


of my promotion within an hour of its occur¬ 
rence, whereupon they congratulated me with 
mock ceremony, but without the slightest appear¬ 
ance of envy. Since then, I have associated with 
men of all ranks in life, but under homespun 
or broadcloth, never knew better hearts than 
those possessed by that little knot of rude 
seamen. 

The wind was ahead, and we did not make 
more than thirty miles before night set in; and 
then the bre(>ze gradually died away, and we 
were forced to let go our anchor. The nights 
are exquisitely lovely in Florida. On that 
particular one the stars shone out brightly; 
the gentlest zephyr played over waters that 
broke in phosphorescent waves. Nature seemed 
hushed in repose, and the low laugh and 
murmuring voices of the men collected on the 
forward deck seemed to indicate that they felt 
the quiet influence of the scene. 

Where do you sleep ?" said George to me, 
as he reclined near me on the quarter-deck, 
where we had been enjoying a long boy-talk. 

Your father permitted me to occupy a berth 
in the cabin,” I replied, “ and I have always 
slept there.” 

^'Didn’t you ever sleep on deck?” inquired 
George. 

“No,” said I; “although I must say that on 


220 


THE YOUH'J WRECKER 


some nights I felt like it. I was afraid that 
your father might think it out of the way.” 

‘‘ That was all very well then/’ said George, 

but now you need n’t be afraid. I never sleep 
below on a night like this, when the schooner ’3 
at anchor. Wait a bit, and I ’ll show you my 
rig.” 

Saying this, he went down into the cabin, 
and brought up a mosquito bar with long 
strings fastened to the corners of the top, which 
was formed of a stout piece of muslin. The 
strings on one side, he made hist to the main- 
boom; of the other two, he made one fast to 
the shrouds, and the other to a boat-davit. 
The net then hung evenly, with its lower edges 
trailing on the surface of the quarter-deck, 
which was a trunk-cabin. He brought up his 
bedding and placed it under the bar and tucked 
the edges in all around, excepting one place to 
crawl under, and then said: 

Is n’t that bunkum ?” 

** Splendid !” I replied. 

*^Well, if you like it,” said he, 'Svhy can’t 
you fix yours on the other side of the boom ?” 

Because,” said I, laughkig, I have n’t got 
any to fix.” 

Oh ! that’s the idea, is it ?” replied George. 

V/ait a while! There’s an old one of mine 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


221 


aboard, full of holes, but you can mend them 
to-morrow.” 

We rummaged in a locker, and having found 
the old net, it was rigged up on the other side 
of the boom. 

You must look out for the moonlight,” 
said George, as he assisted me in putting up my 
bar. 

“ Look out for the moonlight!” echoed I. 
<< Why should I look out for the moonlight ?” 

Why, do n’t you know,” said George, ” that 
if you sleep with the moonlight on your face, it 
will draw it up so badly, that you would n’t 
know yourself in the glass ?” 

“ No!” said I, you are joking, are you 
not ?” 

“ Not a bit of it,” he replied, you ask fa¬ 
ther how one of his men, called Tom Barton, 
caught it one night, when he came aboard 
drunk, and lay all night on his back, with the 
moon shining right in his face. Ask Brady, he 
knew the man : I hear Brady’s voice talking 
there forward.” 

Brady’s word,” said I, would not go far 
with me, for he tells the biggest yarns I ever 
heard.” 

^‘Very well,” said George, ‘Uhen ask my 
father to-morrow : he has turned in now. The 
bars are hxed, what do you say to going forward 
19 ^ 


222 


THE YOUNG WEECKEH, 


and hearing some of the men’s yarns ? I do n’t 
feel like sleep yet.” 

“ Nor I, either,” I replied, the night seems 
too beautiful to sleep it all away.” 

We found the men sitting near the wind¬ 
lass. There was no moon yet, and the picture 
lay in dark patches, except where the starlight, 
shining here and there, lighted a face, a bit of 
cordage, a block, or a spot of glossy rounding 
spar. The men had evidently been telling a 
succession of yarns, each one taking his turn 
in producing the most marvellous story in his 
budget. As George and I approached, the 
voice of Bill Buggies ceased, and then said, 

‘‘ Here's the boys. Begging pardon, the 
young captain, and the professor,” he added, 
with mock respect. was taking my turn at 
spinning a yarn. Would you like to hear 
about an alligator that I once saw killed on the 
Mississippi ?” 

“ Go ahead,” said George, “that is just what 
we came for.” 

“ The alligator, you see,” said Buggies, re¬ 
suming his story, “ was as much as fifty yards 
from the edge of the marsh, and we were six 
men. Hows’ever, I believe if he’d been able 
to turn quick, which they can’t, being kind of 
hampered by a bone on each side of their necks, 
he'd have killed one or two on us. Sometimes, 


OR FRED RANSOM. • 223 

he’d stop^ and make a short fight, and then 
off for the water again. It didn’t seem as if 
we could Slop him, until three of the party 
fetched a heavy timber of drift wood, and 
pinted it up and dropped it on the critter’s 
head. That stunned him like, and you never 
see such a rolling round and gasping and 
making awful swipes with his tail. We had 
to stand clear of the tail. We ran in with 
a hatchet and an axe, and put in two or three 
cuts on his neck. Then he was past getting 
away, and we got in two or three more cuts 
with the axe, and, at last, chopped his head 
right square off. 

Now I’m coming to the curous part of the 
thing. We left the head and body, and went 
down to our boat, and sot there as much as a 
half hour, and was going off to the vessel with 
the water-casSs, when we thought we’d take 
one look at the alligator. One of the men was 
just going to feel of the head with the toe of 
his boot, and, as luck would have it, I thought 
how long snapping-turtles’ heads lived after 
they were cut off, and I says, ^ Avast there, Jim, 
jest try the blade of your hatchet.’ He had n’t 
more ’n touched the critter’s head with the 
blade of the hatchet, when, my sake! its eyes 
opened, and sparkled with fire like, and its 
jaws shut on the hatchet-I lade, so that som^ 


224 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


of its teeth were ground to flour. Some one 
says to Jim, ‘ You did n’t give him a fair shot, 
jest touching his nose.’ So Jim put the hatchet 
down again, and the alligator’s jaws shut on it 
so fast we could n’t get it out, and had to take 
hold of the hatchet-handle and carry the head 
along to the boat, where we stowed it out of 
the way of our shins, and rowed off to the 
vessel. I’d he afeard to say how long the head 
lived afterwards. And that’s a true story, every 
bit of it, for I see the thing myself, with my 
own eyes.” 

It’s your turn now, Brady,” said Deal. 

** I think ye must have an illigant sufficiency 
for the night,” replied Brady. 

‘‘No, we haven’t,” said Linden; “honor 
bright, now, Brady! It was to be turn and 
turn about.” 

“ Well, byes,” said Brady, “ I no objection 
to spell yees a bit. But whinever I tell ye 
any thing, ye ’re always screwin’ up yer eyes, 
and distartin’ yer fatures at a’most every ither 
word I say, and botherin’ me with yer ‘ is that 
so, Brady,’ and ‘ till that to the maranes,’ when 
the thing’s not strange at all, at all. What 
’ud ye be afther doin’ if I till yees a right 
wontherful story? I guess I won’t waste me 
breath.” 


OR FRED RANSOM. 225 

Oh, yes, Brady!" exclaimed the men, with 
one accord. 

Yes, Brady,” continued Buggies, it's too 
dark to see us,, so there’s no danger of your 
knowing it, if you come to any thing rather 
tough; and we won’t interrupt you.” 

Yis,” replied Brady, but whin I get 
through, it ’ll be, ^ is that so, Brady,’ and ‘ till 
that to the maranes.’ ” 

Not a bit of it,” replied Buggies, “ we won’t 
say a word. Will we, shipmates? it’s agreed,' 
is n’t it?” 

Every one agreeing to the terms, Brady com¬ 
menced. 

^‘Spakin’ of th’ alligator, reminds me of some¬ 
thin’ I once saw in Ireland.” 

On your uncle’s estate ?” said Buggies, 
gravely. 

On me Ooncle’s eshtate, it was,” replied 
Brady. It takes in the best pashture-land in 
the county, but me ooncle has a patch o’ bog, 
about sax be three mile, jest for diggin’ pate 
for the farm tinants. I was spindin’ me time 
at the place, shootin’ and the like o’ that; and 
the first night sich a roarin’ come from the bog, 
as made the ground trimble. I says to me 
ooncle in the mornin’, what baste is that ye’ve 
got in the bog? Last night the roarin’ was 
awful. 


226 THE YOUNQ WEECKER, 

** * Did ye never hear one of tliim ?’ says me 
ooncle, ^ it’s a kraken, and lie’s ate 'most two 
flock of sheep on me.* One of me shipherds 
was here yisterday, and said he’d fixed a con- 
thraption that would ketch the baste beautiful, 
and I'm going prisintly to see him drawed out 
o’ the bog. If ye’d like to g’lang, jest say 
the worrud.' 

Says I, I’m wid ye, faith I’d like to see the 
baste as could murther me rest!” 

** * An’ me shape,’ says me ooncle ‘ but here ’a 
the bye and the nags, let’s be aff.’ 

** Afther ridin’ a mather of tin mile, we come 
to the bog, and on the idge of it was some 
tinants with ox-tames and carts, and in one of 
thim a shape newly slaughtered, and a big coil 
of cable wid a hook on the ind of it. The min 
threaded the shape on the hook, and sint a bye 
galloping over the bog to drop it in a big hole 
quite convanient to where we was standin’. 

^^In less nor tin minutes, the cable com- 
minced to wark, and the tinants clapped to it, 
and made it fast to the pole of an ox-cart, and 
goaded the oxen; but they couldn’t stir a-peg, 
and out of the bog came a roarin’ to make yer 
hair stand on ind. 


* The kraken was a fabulous sea-monster, reputed for A 
long time to frequent the coast of Norway. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


227 


* Anither yoke of oxen, me byes,' says me 
ooncle, and the min bitched anither yoke, thir¬ 
teen foot girth, not an inch less ; an' the two 
yoke hauled till their noses teched the ground, 
and I see the head and fore legs of the kraken 
coming out of the hole, and its roarin' was 
frightful to hear, and it twisted its snout and 
fore legs in the bog, so the oxen stopped short 
to blow. 

The oxen was dead hate, and me ooncle 
says, 'byes, clap on anither yoke, and we'll 
fetch the spalpeen.’ The tinants hitches them 
on, and the noses of the three yokes goes down 
to the ground with the strength of the haulin’ 
they done; and the roarin' made the bog quake 
all around, and jest as the oxen was a’most 
spint, the line slacks up, and sinds thim a- 
sprawlin.’ 

‘ Be the powers,' says me ooncle, ' we've 
drawed him.’ 

^ No, we have n’t, bad cess to him,’ says one 
of the tinants, ' we've drawed the shape out 
of him.’ An’ sure, an’ when we'd hauled the 
shape up to the place where we was standin’, 
there was nothin’ on the hook, barring itself 
and a pace of an intrail.” 

Silence ensued, unbroken, except by sup¬ 
pressed laughter and a few prolonged whist- 
linga. 


228 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

“ Well, Brady/' said Buggies, at last, 
thought Saint Patrick drove all the varmints 
out of Ireland; it seems to me he left a pretty 
big one.” 

“Bedad!” said Brady, scratching the side of 
his head, there was one varmint the Sint 
never got out of Ireland, and that’s sin, and 
it's mo belafe, byes, that the kraken was Sathan 
himself.” 

At this, the suppressed laughter burst forth, 
and the whistling found free vent. 

“Be still, wid yer whistlin’!” said Brady, 
“ or ye ’ll rise a storrum.” 

“The captain will, if we make so much noise,' 
said Buggies. “ Come along, boys, be quiet I 
Let’s turn in.” 

The men arose, and began to disperse; 
but every now and then they went off into fits 
of laughter, interspersed with whistling so sig¬ 
nificant, that it was hardly worth while for 
them to have made their agreement with 
Brady. 

George and I retired to the trunk-cabim 
With a delightful sense of perfect contentment, 
not experienced for many a day, I chatted with 
him under the boom, until we both fell into a 
drowsy state that a few seconds converted into 
deep slumber. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


229 


ch:-A.i=^tee. siixiatt- 

THE ANCHORAGE AT CAPE FLORIDA-FRED 
RANSOM AND GEORGE BOWERS-WHAT THEY 
DID, AND WHAT THEY SAW, AFTER THEY 
WERE PUT IN COMMAND OF A DINGY. 



AELY in the afternoon of the 
.y next day, we came to anchor off 
Cape Florida. The Cape, as the 
reader will remember from my de¬ 
scription of the Keef, is the southern 
end of Key Biscayne, north of which 
is Virginia Key, and north of that, 
the southernmost point of the Atlantic shore of 
the main-land of Florida. 

On the main-land, in a north-westerly direc¬ 
tion from. Virginia Key and Key Biscayne, is 
Miami Eiver, a small stream that effects part 
of the drainage of the Everglades of Florida. 

On the western side of the southern point 
of Key Biscayne, the water is bold up to the 
very beach, and affords a secure anchorage, from 
20 


230 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


whicii the Eeef and Key Biscayne Bay can both 
be seen. 

It was here that we let go our anchor, in this 
snug little harbor, from which, looking towards 
'vthe eastward over the low point of Cape 
Florida, we could see a pc^tion of our cruising 
ground, and, looking to the westward, com¬ 
mand a long stretch of the main-land. On 
the point of Cape Florida was a tall light-house, 
of the old-fashioned conical form. Except its 
keeper, and a few soldiers in a military post at 
the mouth of the Miami, not a soul inhabited 
the region, save the Indians lurking in the 
forest on the distant main-land. 

On a calm morning, rowing gently along the 
margin of the Keys or Beef, gathering shells, 
sponges, anemones; then spreading sail to drop 
the killick of our dingy on some fishing-ground, 
where the fish never nibbled, but seized the 
bait; then, spreading sail again to seek some 
distant spot, where the marsh-hen, with quick¬ 
ly-throbbing note, sought cover, but found 
no protection from our eager guns,—these were 
our sports, these the pleasures of which we 
never seemed to tire. 

One of the prettiest sights to be seen in the 
inner bay was the fish-hawk mounting on high 
and soaring in wide circles, until some tempting 
prize made it close its wings and descend like 


on nREO HANSOM 


231 


the thunder-bolt. Then came the splashy the 
brief struggle, the fierce bird mounting on 
sluggish wing, bearing in its deadly clutch the 
struggling fish, which gleamed and glittered like 
polished silver. 

Of all the birds that we saw, the most grace¬ 
ful in outline was the frigate bird, or man-of- 
war hawk, as it is called on the Reef. Its tail 
is remarkably long and forked, and its wings, 
capable of great extension, taper to the finest 
points. The bird can be recognized by its shape, 
almost at the greatest distance at which it can 
be seen. It soars at a great height, and one 
may watch in vain to detect the slightest 
movement of the wings. It ascends and de¬ 
scends in graceful spiral flight, in which it 
seems as if moved up and down on gentle cur¬ 
rents in the air. 

One day we had the great good-fortune to 
find the shell of a paper-nautilus. This light, 
graceful object, with its high curving prow, 
really looks so much like what one might fancy 
in a fairy gondola, that it is no wonder it was 
fabled to rise from the ocean-bottom, spread 
tiny sails, and waft across the bosom of the 
deep. But, alas! the fable is gone, and we now 
know that the nautilus crawls on the bottom 
of the sea, with its shell on its back. The ar¬ 
gonaut IS the true name of the paper-nautilus. 


232 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

It possesses an exceedingly white and fragile 
shell. When inhabited by the animal, the sheh 
is elastic. 

The pearly-naiitilns belongs to another order 
of mollusks, and is the only remaining rep¬ 
resentative of several extinct species of animals. 
The pearly-nautilus is the one of which Dr. 
Holmes wrote the beautiful verses, commencing, 

“ This is the ship of pearl which poets feign 

_ Sails the unshadowed main- 

The venturous bark that flings 
On the sweet summer winds its purpled wmgj 
In gulfs enchanted, where the siren sings 
And coral reefs lie bare, 

Where the cold sea-maids rise to sun their sireaming hair.” 

The Portuguese man-of-war sails in little 
fleets about the waters of the Reef, and we 
often passed through hundreds of them merrily 
dancing over the waves. They are filmy little 
boats, like pods of glossy violet silk; and on 
one side they at pleasure raise or furl their 
delicate lug-sails which speed them on their 
way, while below, hang numerous filaments that 
stream astern like tiny cables. It is often 
supposed that the boat is the animal itself, and 
' these cables only so many appendages, to serve 
as rudders to keep the sail braced against the 
wind. The streaming cables do serve that pur¬ 
pose, but they form a whole community of 


OK FKED RANSOM. 


233 


beings that use the little boat to tow them 
through the sea. Thus, you observe, that if 
any thing is subordinate, where every thing is 
mutually dependent, it is the boat, and not the 
crew who float astern. 

Sometimes we rowed our boat through a 
little inlet, so narrow that the oar-tips scarcely 
cleared the foliage on the banks, and, with a 
few strokes, darted into the waters of a placid 
lake studded with green islets. We found many 
Keys like this. From the outside, they seemed 
a dense growth of trees extending from shore 
to shore; but they were really nothing but a 
rim of land encircling waters which ebbed and 
flowed through obscure inlets. These places 
always had great charm for me. Coming 
from the seaward side of a Key, where tlie 
breeze drove on the restless, chafing sea, which 
frets at every barrier, day and night, and 
never ceases its hollow murmuring or thun¬ 
derous crash upon the shore,—we could come 
with one swift glide into waters unruffled by a 
ripple; where there was not a sound, save 
the scream of a wild bird; where the brilliant 
flamingoes stood in gorgeous troops, and the 
solitary heron watched moodily beside the 
bank. 


20 * 


234 


THE YOUNQ WRECKER, 




the two quarter-boats are sent to the 

MAIN-LAND TO PROCURE WATER AT THE 
PUNCH BOWL-A STORM-A SHIP IN SIGHT- 
CAPTAIN BOWERS SAILS TO GIVE HIS ADVICE 
AND RENDER ASSIST ANCE - THE SHIP GOES 
ASHORE ON THE REEF. 



ECEMBER ended, January came 
and passed away, and February 
was verging to its close. I had 
again heard from home and written 
in reply, and George and I con¬ 
tinued our studies and sports, and 
we were the best friends and hap¬ 


piest boys. 

On the 20th of February, the schooner being 
short of water, the captain ordered both quar¬ 
ter-boats to go to the main-land and procure a 
supply. We took all the water-casks, and set 
off from the vessel, as soon as she came to 
anchor after her morning cruise. No one but 
the captain and Hannibal remained on board. 
George steered one boat, and I took the helm 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


235 


of the other. After rowing about seven miles, 
we landed on the shore of the main-land, at a 
jdace called the Punch-Bowl, not far south of 
Miami Eiver. This was the place from which 
we were accustomed to procure water for the 
schooner’s casks and water-tank. It required 
four boat-loads of casks to fill the tank, and 
after it was filled, the casks were usually re¬ 
plenished. A full supply of water used to last 
from three to four weeks, as, excepting for the 
purpose of drinking, in which the men were 
not restricted, a very small amount of fresh 
water was allowed. 

The Punch-Bowl ^is worthy of description. 
On the straight and W/Ooded shore of the main¬ 
land is a little bluff which has been described 
as the remains of an ancient line of Keys which 
were once an ancient line of Beef. In the face 
of this bluff, which is separated from the water 
by a beach not exceeding two yards in width, 
is an excavation like a little cave, and in this 
excavation is a deep hole, called the Punch 
Bowl. It is filled with pure water that filters 
through the ground from the Everglades, which 
lie a few miles to the westward. It is an ex- 
haustless spring, so close to the ocean that a 
high tide washes into its basin. 

We ran the bows of the boats close to the 
Punch-Bowl, and, taking the bungs out of the 


2o6 


THE YOUNG WKECKER, 


casks, stationed two men with buckets at the 
spring. Each man di])ped his bucket and passed 
it along a file of men readiing to his boat. In 
this way, the buckets constantly going to and 
fro, in the course of an hour the casks were 
filled. 

We started oft’ immediately with our deeply- 
laden boats, and put up sail to aid our progress, 
as the casks so obstructc^d the thwarts that the 
men could not ]nill all the oars. The boats 
had for some time labored along through the 
water, when the breeze began to freshen 
■and they became almost as unmanageable as 
logs. I saw Euggles and Linden glance seve¬ 
ral times at the sky, and at last Buggies said: 

It looks kind of squally.” 

“Worsethan squally,” replied Linden, “we 're 
going to have heavy weather.'’ 

“Think so?” said Buggies. 

“ I do,” rejoined Linden. “ Did you ever see 
the clouds bank up that way without meaning 
something? Look out for a storm, I say. I 
v;ish we were aboard. If it comes on afore we 
make the schooner, we '11 have to heave the 
casks overboard, if we don't intend to lose 
casks, boats, and ourselves too.” 

The day began to darken, and the wind to 
come in blasts. There is certainly language in 
a storm. Even before the wind commences to 


OK FRED RANSOM. 


* 237 


blow heavily, it has an ' angry tone, and the 
gentlest sounds seem to articulate in fierce 
whispers Perhaps it is because the seafaring 
man knows many signs which mutually throw 
light upon each other, that each has a signifi¬ 
cance, which, singly, it would not possess. 

The boats began to plunge and to roll 
almost gunwale under, until I began to fear 
that they would fill; but we were now .only 
about a mile distant from the schooner, so I 
hoped that we should be able to accomplish the 
remaining distance in safety. I observed the 
captain walking rapidly up and down the quar¬ 
ter-deck, by which action, as I knew him so 
well, I perceived that he was uneasy. 

At the distance of a few yards from our 
boat, the other boat sailed and rowed along in 
no better plight. Brady, after putting some 
seizings around a couple of casks, hallooed to us: 

I’m thinkin’ ach one of uz will soon be 
tendin’ a buoy widout any pay.” 

We ’ll weather it, Brady, never fear!” 
shouted Ptuggles; ^‘.but, boys, we’ll have to 
douse our sail now; the wind's hauling so much 
that we ’re not standing within ten points of the 
schooner.” 

Both boats took in sail, and, in each, the men 
managed to get out an additional oar. Al¬ 
though the oars were not equivalent to the sails, 


238 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


yet, as the boats were now able to head directly, 
for the schooner, their actual progress wa9 
about the same, although their speed through 
the water was not so great. They wallowed 
through the sea as if they had no buoyancy, and 
every moment a wave broke over the gunwales, 
BO that in each boat a man had to bail con¬ 
stantly. What a relief it was when we reached 
the schooner! There was no need of orders. 
The men leaped aboard, lowered tackles, and 
quickly hoisted the casks on board. The falls 
were then hooked to the boats, and in a few 
seconds they were triced up to the davits. 
While the men were engaged in these opera¬ 
tions, the captain, George, Hannibal, and I, all 
lent a hand, by rolling the casks on the skids 
placed along the schooner’s rail; so that by the 
time the men had hoisted the boats to the 
davits, the deck was all clear. The captain, 
who had been violently exerting himself, at last 
stood up. He at once glanced seaward. Fol¬ 
lowing the direction of his eyes, I saw a large 
ship, which, when approaching the schooner, 
we had observed about a mile outside of the 
Beef. 

Heave up the anchor 1” shouted the captain, 
double reef the main-sail; unlace the bonnet 
of the jib! Here you, Buggies, take the 
helm!" 


OR FRED RANSC M. 


239 


Although Euggles lived forward, he was a 
*«ort of sub-officer, and, in any emergency, he 
was selected for the post of responsibility. Iri 
the course of five minutes, the anchor was tripped, 
the Flying Cloud’s head paid off, and we were 
under way, with the falls of the windlass still 
clicking, as the men hove away to get the anchor 
to the cathead. For a few seconds, the captain 
shook the schooner up in the wind, to clear the 
anchor-flukes when they were awash under our 
bow ; and then, as the men put a stopper on the 
anchor, he kept her off again. Before they 
could accomplish that, the schooner was heeled 
over and rushing through the water. I had 
never been under way in the Flying. Cloud, in 
a gale, when she was* close-hauled. When we 
sailed for the wreck south of Indian Key, we had 
had a fair breeze. Now the vessel had a chance 
of showing her sailing qualities, Und well did 
she maintain her reputation on the Beef. The 
water swashed over her deck, but the gale was 
so heavy that her lee scuppers were always 
beneath the surface; yet while she thrilled in 
every timber, she tore through the water, 
gracefully riding the seas, laying her course 
close in the wind’s eye, and holding it in one 
unswerving line. 

There had been so much to attend to on the 
Flying Cloudy that we had all paid com para- 


210 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

lively little attention to the ship; but now that 
every thing was 'snug on our diioks, and the 
vessel fairly under way, all hands stood at their 
stations, and speculated upon the fate of the 
ship on that lee shore. 

George and I were standing near the captain, 
who had remained near the wheel, and had not 
spoken, except to give his orders to the crew, 
when he said half-musingly, and half as if ad¬ 
dressing us, 

“ There's scarcely a chance for her.” 

Is n’t there?” said George, glad to avail 
himself of an opportunity to gratify his cu¬ 
riosity. ‘‘ What are you going to do, father ?” 

“ I’m going to try to get out to her by one 
of the channels across the* Pveef,” said the cap¬ 
tain, but nothing can save her unless the 
wind shifts. It ’ll be close sailing for the 
schooner to get through the channel, with a 
head wind, but I ’ll try it. If we go on the 
Reef, some one will have to wreck us. Ready, 
about!” added the captain, in a stentorian 
voice. 

“ R,eady 1” shouted the men at the jib-sheet. 

“ Helm’s a-lee!” sang out the captain. 
Ruggles put the helm hard a-lee, and the 
schooner turned around like a top, with the 
blocks rattling, and the sails flapping m if they 
would split. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


241 


Draw away !'’ added the captain, almost in 
the same breath, so rapidly did the schooner go 
about. 

Over we heeled on the other tack, and went 
whizzing through the water, with the spray fly¬ 
ing all over the schooner. 

Once more we went about, and steered a 
little to windward of the entrance to the chan¬ 
nel across the Eeef, so as to be certain of 
fetching it, in case the wind should veer a little; 
but without that, we were almost certain to do 
it, for the wind blew so hard that Euggles was 
constantly obliged to ease the schooner by 
running her up slightly into the wind, by which 
process, with the tremendous way that she 
had, we were always shooting up to windward. 

Keep her off,” said the captain, as we 
neared the channel, and the vessel, being now' 
brought with the wind full on her sails, careened 
so much that I thought she would either cap¬ 
size or carry away her main-mast. 

“ Steady, at that!” said the captain, to 
Buggies. Here, one of you men, lend him a 
hand. It’s pretty hard steering now, boys,” 
said the captain, addressing us. 

“Linden and Deal!” sang out the captain 
again, “stand by the peak-halliards ! ” 

The schooner entered the channel, and we 
21 


242 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

could see, by the roll of the waves, that the 
water was very shoal. 

‘^Now, men!” shouted the captain, looking 
astern, to get a range that he knew on shore, 
stand by; a moment’s time may lose the 
schooner I ” 

Every man was at his post, arid we flashed 
through the channel, while, combing up astern 
of us, came a wave that proved the shallow¬ 
ness of the water through which we were 
passing. 

‘^Eeady, about!” roared the captain, as we 
almost struck the edge of the channel; and 
about the schooner went on her heel. In a few 
seconds more we were in the Gulf. The cap¬ 
tain drew a long breath, as if infinitely relieved, 
and said to us: 

“ I would n’t want to try that again for any 
thing you could offer me.” 

While we had been passing through the 
narrow channel, our attention had been once 
more distracted from the ship, but now that it 
was again plain sailing, every gaze was riveted 
upon her. She was a large ship and evidently 
a good sailer, but she was tasked to her utmost. 
She had not apparently gained much to wind¬ 
ward since we first sighted her. She was 
sailing under close canvas, with double-reefed 
topsails. The captain kept his glass constantly 


OR FRED RANSOM. 243 

directed towards her, but we could see her dis¬ 
tinctly with the naked eye. 

All at once her topsails split, part of them 
blew out of the bolt-ropes, the ship s head paid 
off towards the Reef, and her crew let the jib 
go by the rum 

Lower away the peak!” shouted- the captain 
to Linden, “ lower,—lower away ! Mind your 
helm,” said he to Ruggles, and run the 
schooner up into the wind, I sing out! We ’ll 
catch that squall presently. That ship’s as 
good as lost,” said he, addressing us boys, as 
he saw the sailors climbing aloft and trying to 
bend a new storm-sail, while the sliip swept 
rapidly to leeward. There’s no time to bend 
a sail, before she ’ll be on the P^eef. They sea 
it now, for the captain’s trying to get up the 
jib and a piece of the spanker; there they go, 
torn to ribbons! It’s all up! Ease the schoon¬ 
er,” said he quickly to Ruggles, “ here comes a 
snorter.” 

The blast struck us, and made every thing 
hum; but Ruggles had put the helm hard a-lee, 
and that, with our lowered peak, saved us from 
destruction. 

The ship came drifting down towards us. 
We went about again, and as we came up with 
her, we backed our jib and laid the schooner 


244 the'young wrecker, 

to, so that she drifted to leeward side by side 
with the ship. 

Wliere am I ?” shouted the captain of the 
ship through his speaking trumpet. 

Abreast of Cape Florida," Captain Bowers 
replied through his trumpet. • 

''What's best to be done?" said the captain 
of the ship. 

" Let go both anchors," replied Captain 
Bowers, " and give them all the scope of chain 
you 've got. You 're almost on the Reef." 

We heard the trumpet on the ship speak in a 
lower tone, and then one anchor after the other 
was let go, and the cables ran rapidly out of 
the hawse-holes; but it was some time before 
the men could manage to give them a turn 
around the windlass, and then one of them 
parted, and the ship commenced dragging slowly 
to leeward. 

Meanwhile, we had been lying to and slowly 
drifting towards the Reef, but, seeing the ship 
dragging. Captain Bowers ordered the men to 
ease away the jib and lower the main-sail. 
The Flying Cloud went off before the wind, 
under her jib and in a few minutes darted 
through the channel across the Reef. When 
she came into the Reef-channel, we hoisted a 
piece of the main-sail by the throat-halliards, 
and ran along the inside edge of the Reef, until 


OK FRED RANSOM. 


245 


we were opposite to tlie place where the great 
ship was slowly drifting down upon the outside 
of it, just where there was one of those spots 
of sand found at rare intervals on its crest. 

In a moment, oui sails were let go by the 
run, and we came to anchor. Without any 
delay, the men furled the jib and the main-sail, 
and, as the last gaskets were being made fast, 
we saw the ship strike. 


246 


THE YOUNG WRECKEK, 


2^X:-VIZI. 


RESCUE OF THE SHIP’S CREW-ALL ABOARO 
THE FLYING CLOUD-THE STORM CONTINUES 
-THE FLYING CLOUD LYING AT HER ANCHORS 
AND RIDING OUT THE GALE. 


HE ship struck on her hilge, 
fell over on her beam-ends, and 
J the sea dashed over her in a mass of 

foam. In this position she rolled 
heavily from side to side, and, with 
one surge heavier than the rest, two 
masts went by tlie board. 

We must save her crew, my men!” ex¬ 
claimed Captain Bowers. ‘‘ Who volunteers to 
man a boat?” 

All the men eagerly rushed forward, and the 
captain said: 

“ You, Buggies, — Linden, Deal, and two 
others. Lower away the starboard boat!” 

More quickly than it is told, the men lowered 
the boat and unhooked the falls. The captain 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


247 


ordered a coil of rope to be tlirown into her, 
and then leaped aboard with his speaking 
trumpet in his hand. The oars fell into the 
rowlocks, and the boat went plunging through 
the heavy sea. 

The captain steered for the little spot of sand, 
on the outside of which the breakers were 
dashing in long lines, like gigantic cavalry 
charging from the sea. Fortunate, indeed, was 
it for the crew of the ship, that she had drifted 
on the Eeef at a point just to windward of that 
Band island. Using the telescope, I saw the 
captain land on the leeward side of it, run to 
the windward side, then stop and put the 
trumpet to his lips. At the distance at wdiicli 
we lay in the schooner, I could not distinguish 
what he said, but a movement instantly took 
place among the forms that clung about the 
ship’s deck. In a few minutes, I could perceive 
a couple of men making a line fast to the ship's 
stern, and then, after a pause, a sailor, holding 
the line, dropped into the water. There I lost 
sight of him in the engulfing waves, and in¬ 
tently watched the boat’s crew on the beach. 
Suddenly they rushed forward, and I saw them 
drag a dark object from the edge of the break¬ 
ers. They supported it. It stood erect and 
walked. The sailor was saved! 

Hurrah 1” exclaimed I to George, who stood 


248 THE YOUNQ WKECKER, 

beside me, and to whom I described every move¬ 
ment that I saw. “ One saved ; hurrah !” 

“ What are they doing now ?” said George 
to me, can you make out ? They 're at the 
boat." 

^‘No," I replied, looking through the tele¬ 
scope. “ I can see them as plainly as I can see 
you, but I can't make out. They seem to be 
bending the line from the ship to the middle 
of the boat. Yes, that’s it; now they are 
rolling the boat over and over, and the line is 
getting taut. I see what it is now ! They are 
rigging up something on the ship. It's a sling 
of heavy stuff, with a line made fast to it. 
Now the captain is saying something through 
his trumpet. Now I can see a sailor getting 
into the sling. There he comes, do n’t you see ? 
—sliding down, working liis way hand over 
hand, while the slack line pays out behind him. 
There he is, just at the edge of the breakers, 
and the line swags so much that they '11 carry 
him away. No they won't! Our men have 
given the boat another turn over on the beach. 
He has cleared the breakers 1 Hurrah 1 One 
more saved I” 

Here George and I engaged in capering about 
deck, shaking hands with each other and shout¬ 
ing to Hannibal. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


249 


''Look again, Fred,” said George to me, “or 
let me have ttie glass.” 

“ I Ve got it on them again,” said I. “ The 
captain is bending his line to the sling. Now 
he is speaking the ship again. There goes the 
sling back to the ship. There’s another 
man getting into it. Our men on shore are 
pulling him down as fast as they can go. 
They ve got him safe ashore. . I see him getting 
out. There .goes the sling back again. Now 
there's another man getting into it. Flere he 
comes, hurrah ! that s quick work. There goes 
the sling back again. They ’ll all be saved, 
George, won’t they? Won’t they be saved, 
Hannibal ?” hallooed I to the cook, who was 
standing near and participating in^our excite¬ 
ment. 

“ Lor’ bress urn, and watch over um, Massa 
Fred ! I believe you ’se right,” said Hannibal, 
“ But I wish dey was all ashore, for ebery 
one iriake dis chile feel as if dat would be de 
lass.” 

But down came another and another and 
another; and we watched them through their 
perilous journey, and, at every escape, capered 
and lugged each other around, bestowed some 
hearty slaps upon Hannibal’s broad shoulders, 
and then quieted down and renewed our ob¬ 
servation of what was happening on shore. 


250 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

At last, there was a pause, and the scattered 
pigmies on the beach collected in a group; and 
I could distinguish the men engaged in un¬ 
bending the line on the boat and righting hei 
again. Then some of them seized her by the 
gunwale, and ran her down to the leeward side 
of the beach, and a number crowded in and 
shoved off, leaving the rest on the island. 

In five minutes, the • captain was along-side, 
and a portion of the ship’s crew jumped upon 
our deck. 

‘‘ Shove her off,” said the captain; “ there's 
not a moment to be lost, the water s commen¬ 
cing to rise on the beach.” 

The boat shot away again, and George and I 
addressed ourselves to the wants of the ship¬ 
wrecked men. They had saved nothing: it was 
hardly worth while to ask the question, for we 
had seen all. Wet, exhausted, and miserable 
they were. We sent them below, and Han¬ 
nibal instantly supplied them with hot coffee, 
wdiich he had prepared in articipation of its 
being needed. The three men on board 
opened their kits, and made the new-comers 
welcome to every thing in their possession. 
The Norwegian’s clothes, now, for the first 
time, came into play; for not one of the men 
had ever been willing to wear the clothes of the 
poor fellow. 


OK FRED RANSOM, 


251 


By the time that the captain returned witli 
the second and last boat-load, including the 
captain and mates of the ship, who had j)referred 
to remain on the beach, the first set of men 
were tolerably comfortable. Captain Bowers 
took the captain and first officer into the cabin, 
to fit them out with his wardrobe, while the 
crew of the boat provided the last-comers from 
their kits. 

We had both anchors out, and it was as much 
as they could do to hold; but we gave them all 
the scope of cable that we had, and lay plunging 
up and down, and buffeted about as if we had 
been in the open sea. 

The ship rolled so heavily, that every minute 
I expected to see her go to pieces. Her third 
mast soon snapped; and there she lay, a great 
dark hulk that was every now and then ob¬ 
scured by a dense whirling cloud of foam. 

The ship’s crew, fourteen men in all, were 
saved. They consisted of the captain, the first 
and second mates, and eleven men. George and 
I gave up our berths to the captain and the 
first mate, and the other mate stayed forward 
with the crew, as is quite usual on board of 
ships. As it was storming so violently, all 
hands, except a watch, had to stay below. It 
was quite crowded forward; but, in the cabin, 
the onlv difference in comfort was that George 


252 THE YOUNG WRECKEE, 

and I shared, in comnion, the extra oerth of 
the cabin, which, by spreading a couple of boat- 
sails in it, we managed to make quite comfort¬ 
able. 

The captain of the wrecked ship was in very 
low spirits, as may well be imagined, for he 
had no hopes of saving her cargo, and Captain 
Bowers was not able to offer him any consola¬ 
tion on that point. We spent the evening very 
drearily. The schooner lurched violently from 
side to side, and every now and then, in the 
intervals of frantic pitching, the captain of the 
ship would ask some question, to which Captain 
Bowers would respond, and then, after an at¬ 
tempt to keep up a conversation, silence would 
settle down upon the occupants of the cabin, 
and their energies would be confined to steady¬ 
ing themselves in their seats or berths. 

If one has never spent a night aboard vessel 
in a storm, either in a roadstead or in the 
open sea, he can have little conception of what 
a dismal scene the interior of the vessel on such 
occasions presents. In the best time that can be 
properly termed a storm, on deck there are the 
creaking spars and shrilly-whistling cordage 
and masts playing wildly to and fro over the 
laboring hull that every instant experiences a 
heavy shock and besprinkling from stem to stern. 
In the cabin, things are in disorder; clothes 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


253 


thrown hastily aside; broken glass; the faint 
light of the lamp clinking in its gimbals; disor¬ 
der, discomfort, everywhere. But in severe 
storms, the very nature of things is reversed. 
Then the ship groans as if in agony; the shocks 
fall like those from a battering-ram; the cordage 
shrieks arid howls as if demons filled the air; the 
tall masts bend like wands. There is darkness, 
with fitful gleams of light, whence coming or 
whither gone, impossible to tell. Sailors run 
quickly over the decks, or clamber aloft; and all 
that interposes between the ship and destruction, 
are those dark flitting forms, that binnacle-lamp 
faintly glowing and shedding its light on the 
compass and on a calm, observant face. 

We experienced not all of this on that dark 
tempestuous night; but we were on a lee shore, 
plunging into the seas, with every timber crack¬ 
ing and straining, as the vessel surged at the 
cables and brought up with a jerk hard enough 
to disengage our grasp of the supports which we 
were all forced to seek in every posture. Then 
every thing would rattle, and then would come 
a horrid shock: then a roll on one side, then a 
shivering in every timber, the ring of metal, 
the crash of glass, the sough of the wind, in¬ 
termingled with the shrieks and howls of the 
demons in the cordage. And in the cabin sat 
two forlorn men, whose sfiip lay beating, scarce 
22 


254 THE YOUNG WRECKEK, 

five liundred yards away, on the roaring, piti¬ 
less Keef. 

There was no sleep that night for any one, 
either forward or aft. The watch was on the 
alert, and every few minutes Captain Bowers 
was on deck, and the poor captain of the ship 
followed him and strained his eyes in the gloom 
to try to obtain one glimpse of his ill-starred 
craft. 

Towards morning the gale began to abate, 
and long before dawn every soul was on deck 
and anxiously waiting to discover what the 
first light would reveal as to the condition of 
the ship. 

At last day dawned, and showed us the state 
of affairs. The storm had so raised the level 
of the water along the coast, that what with 
the increased depth and the violence of the 
waves, the ship had been canted around on her 
bilge, until she lay athwart the Beef, with her 
bow pointing seaward. In this position, she 
presented a comparatively small surface to the 
action of the waves, which, before, had struck 
her fairly on her beam. Now, they struck her 
bow, raised it slightly, and dropped it as they 
sped onward; and then she swayed heavily from 
Bide to side, until the next great billow came 
rolling in, raised her, and dropped her as it 


OR FRED RANSOM. 255 

rushed by her sides, and roared away over the 
Heef. 

By twelve o’clock, the storm was decidedly 
abating, but the same sea still swept in from 
the ocean, which was a grand sight. As far as 
we could see, it rolled in maddened turbu¬ 
lence. There was a war of the waters. Groups 
of white-capped waves rushed frantically at 
each other, and then all went down together 
in the struggle; and in a moment their dark 
forms and white angry crests appeared, arose, 
and dashed together again desperately, in un¬ 
yielding and tumultuous strife. 

No wreckers hove in sight. It was impos¬ 
sible for them to leave their anchorages. But 
we did not concern ourselves about them. 
Even if our thoughts had not been absorbed 
with pity for the unfortunate situation of the 
rescued sailors, we would have been easy in 
mind in regard to the disposition of the wreck, 
for the captain of the ship had authorized Cap¬ 
tain Bowers to take charge of whatever the 
elements might spare. 

Once more night closed upon the scene, with 
the wind gradually lulling, but the seas still 
maintaining their ascendancy, and, on account 
of the diminution of the wind, as distinguish¬ 
able in the darkness., to the ear, as they had 
been by day to the sight. All night long the 


256 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


Wind gradually lulled, until; by morning, it wa? 
almost calm. But all night long, the seas rolled 
on in a chorus of blending, hoai’se, and ^mcx^a- 
cing roar. 


OK PEED EANSOM 


257 


xixzix:- 

‘VME WRECK DRIVEN HIGHER ON THE REEF- 
WRECKERS HEAVE IN SIGHT-TWO ARE RE¬ 
TAINED B,Y CAPTAIN BOWERS-THEY TAKE 
A LOAD FROM THE SHIP AND SAIL FOR 
KEY WEST-BRADY’S QUARREL ON SHORE 
WITH THE “BIG INGIN,” AND HOW IT ENDED. 



r^OENIISFG arrived at last, and 
showed us the ship in a higher 
position on the Reef than the one 
which she had occupied during the 
previous day. The storm had gra¬ 
dually subsided, until the wind had 
become a gentle breeze, and no¬ 
thing remained but the effects of the gale, in 
the still agitated sea and the stranded ship. 

Then, towards the north and south, appeared 
the distant and approaching sails of the wreck¬ 
ers, which, before long, arrived, came to, and 
boarded us to know what was to be done. Our 
captain had his plans matured, but the sea was 
Btill too boisterous to put them into execution. 

22 ^ 




258 THE YOTJNG WRECKER, 

The services of two of the wreckers, that were 
of greater tonnage than the others, were se¬ 
cured, and the rest made sail again for their 
stations. 

In the afternoon, the two quarter-boats and 
the dingy went ashore, carrying all hands except 
a crew left on board of the schooner. George 
and I went in one of the boats, which were 
provided with axes, and switchel in a keg for 
the men, and with water in a monkey* for the 
officers. Parts of the crews of the two other 
wreckers, equipped in the same manner, went 
ashore in their own boats. 

We landed on one of the Keys, not far to 
the southward of Key Biscayne, and found, on 
its southern point, a place on which there was 
a good sandy soil, covered with a sparse and 
stunted growth of bushes. The men, who num¬ 
bered about thirty, went to work with their 
axes and hatchets, and by nightfall they had 
managed to cut down the growth and heap it 
around the edge of.the clearing. When this 
was done, the crews pulled off in their boats to 
their respective vessels. 

Throughout the whole day and night )f the 
22d, the same gentle breeze prevailed, so that, 
by the following morning, the sea was quite 


The monkey is a jug of porous earthenware. 


OK FRED RANSOM. 


259 


placid. In two or three hours after daylight, it* 
was almost calm on the Eeef, but still remained 
deeper there than usual, owing to the violence 
of the gale which had been blowing towards 
the coasf. 

Captain Bowers and the captains of the two 
wreckers had concerted measures in advance; 
80 that, the moment the sea became tranquil, 
the vessels, which had been lying with loosened 
sails and anchors apeak, got under way and 
steered for the ship. The Flying Cloud arrived 
first, and the water was so tranquil that Captain 
Bowers was enabled to make her fast along-side 
of the ship, merely getting his fenders out to 
avoid chafing the schooner’s bulwarks. During 
the latter part of the blow, the ship had been 
forced further on the Eeef, and had settled 
in a hollow, in which, by working, she had 
gradually embedded. With the increased depth 
of water on the Eeef, she had then righted 
BO much that she' now lay almost on an even 
keel. 

Our crew soon forced a convenient entrance 
into the hull of the ship, by going to work 
with their axes in a place on the side where 
she had been So violently pounded that the 
planking was broken and beaten into a fiV’ous 
pulp. The other wreckers followed our exam¬ 
ple ; and, soon, almost every man belonging to 


260 THE YOUNG WILECKER, 

the three vessels was engaged in unloading the 
ship. The cargo was from Boston, and consisted 
of common furniture for one or two of the port? 
in the Gulf. Soon the decks, holds, and cabins 
of the three schooners were crammed With cabi¬ 
net-ware. All three then cast off from the ship, 
and Captain Bowers ordered the two, which he 
had employed, to sail immediately for Key West, 
and return as soon as they could unload their 
cargoes. The Flying Cloud sailed in close to 
the Key where we had made the clearing, and 
the whole afternoon was consumed in transfer¬ 
ring her cargo to the beach, and in spr.6ading 
sails over it to protect it from the weather. 
At sundown Buggies was left ashore with an 
armed party, consisting of Linden, Deal, Brady, 
and a couple of the crew from the ship. The 
captain took this precaution on account of hav¬ 
ing observed an Indian canoe paddling from the 
main-land, in the direction of the Key. We 
left the men a little coffee, salt pork, and hard 
tack, with which to prepare their breakfast for 
the next morning. 

In the morning, at daylight, all hands aboard 
of the schooner had their coffee, and without 
visiting the party on shore, proceeded at once to 
the wreck, and recommenced to unload her. By 
twelve o’clock, we had our cargo completed, and 
sailed for the beach, to which, as on the day be- 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


261 


fore, we transferred every thing. From curiosity 
to know what was going on there, George and 
I, accompanied by Jack, went ashore with the 
captain in the first boat that left the schooner. 
As we neared the shore, we saw three or four 
Indians standing near our men, and, on landing, 
distinguished by the tone of Brady’s voice that 
he was angry. As George and I approached 
the group, I caught sight of Brady shaking his 
fist under an Indian’s nose, and heard him ex¬ 
claim : 

“Ye dud! ye dud! I see the graise around 
yer chaps now, ye botherin’ old parrot-toes. Go 
'lang wid ye; do ye think I come to Ameriky to 
be cook to an Ingin, bedad ?” Here Brady 
flourished his fist within an inch of the Indian’s 
nose. 

“ What’s all this row about ?” said the cap¬ 
tain, brushing past the outskirts of the group, 
and elbowing his way up to Brady and his 
opponent, just as the latter was making a low 
guttural response, of which I could understand 
nothing. “ What’s the matter, I say ? Speak, 
Brady!” 

“ Spake, is itV an’ sure, an’ it’s little spakin* 
I fale like doin’ this minute, yer honor, the 
captain. I want ye to see him git fair play wid 
fist or shillelaJi; and if he won’t fight, wid yer 


262 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

honor’s permission, I ’ll give him a taste of me 
flit.” 

“ But the matter, the matter ?” said the cap 
tain, impatiently. 

“ Ah ! it’s the raather, the mather, you’d be 
afther knowin’ ? Well, there’s enough the 
mather! I ’ll till ye ivery worrud. This blessed 
minute, the min had all done their dinner, and 
was gone to worruk ayont, and I was frying me 
bit porruk; and, thinks I, the fire’s not hot 
enough, I want some of thim dry brush-wood I 
see over there, and I goes to get it. And as I 
was a-coming back, I see this coppery thafe wid 
his cliakes stuck out, and chawing very speedy, 
an’ not a bit of me porruk in the pan. I says 
to him, ‘ye’re a thafe;’ and I put me fist till 
his nose, and I says again, ‘ye’re a thafe;’ and 
the chewin’ he kep’ up was awful to behold, and 
all to wunst he give a swaller, and stared at me 
as if he was a-chokin’. ‘Ye’re a thafe,’ says I 
again, for the thirrud time; ‘won’t ye be afther 
answerin’ me?— Ye stole me porruk.’ And he 
says to me: 

“ ‘ Ingin no stale. Big Ingin, great chief 
Mickewakestamekakekyme.’ 

“ Chafe, indade, ye spalpeen, says I, ye staled 
me porruk,—and do n’t I see the graise rinnin* 
down yer chaps? Go ’lang, wid yer chafe. 
And, yer honor, the min came rinnin’ around 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


263 


uz, and I was jest going to lay tlie heft of an 
Irishman’s vingince on him, when yer honor 
came up.” 

While listening to this recital, and looking at 
the excited and pugnacious Brady, contrasted 
with the stolid Indian,—who despite his denial, 
was glistening around the mouth from the ef¬ 
fects of his hasty repast,—the. captain was 
seized with several convulsive twitches of coun¬ 
tenance; and as Brady concluded with an at¬ 
tempt at the name of the chief, and his own 
reply upon its dignified announcement by the 
owner, the captain burst out laughing, and went 
into such convulsions of merriment, that he 
had to cast himself on the ground. The con¬ 
tagion spread to the whole party, who roared 
in concert with the captain, until the puzzled 
Brady broke forth into a succession of broad 
grins, alternated by eclipses of serious ex¬ 
pression ; and even the greasy mouth of the 
much-injured Indian, who, despite his tell¬ 
tale appearance, had maintained an air of 
dignified composure, melted into something like 
a smile. 

At last the captain arose, almost exhausted, 
and after having taken Brady aside, rejoined 
the group, and addressing the Indian, said ; 

Friend, he much sorry. He no see buzzard 
takee.” 


264 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

“ Yah, yah,” replied the Indian. Buzzard 
much plenty here, much takee pork.” 

‘‘ And, by the way,” said the captain, Indian 
man want eatee, here plenty.” 

Yah, yah, yah,” replied the Indian, chief 
tankee much.” 

The Indian was evidently pleased at this 
intimation of, the captain, and he, with the 
three companions who had accompanied him to 
the Key, walked quietly away to the place 
where they had left their canoe. 

The captain then turned to Brady, and 
said: 

Now, Brady, I’m not surprised that you 
were provoked, hut you and all the men—do 
you all hear ?—must keep on the right side of 
these fellows, or they ’ll give us trouble. I 
do n’t want you to let them steal the furniture, 
sails, or any thing valuable; but do n’t have 
any difficulty with them for the matter of a piece 
of pork. Let them have what they want to 
eat, and I ’ll furnish you with a larger allow¬ 
ance. All you have to do is to keep a bright 
lookout for the property on shore.” Saying 
this, the captain returned to the boat with 
us, and pulled off for the vessel. Jack sat in 
the stern-sheets, and kept up the growling and 
suppressed bark with which he had been 
affected ever since he caught sight of the 


oil FRED RANSOM. 


2DO 


Indians, around whose calves he had walked 
and snuffed until he almost disconcerted the 
chief of the greasy chin and unpronounceable 
name. 


26a 


THE YOUNQ WEECKEK, 


THE WATER SUBSIDES ALONG THE REEF-THS 
FLYING CLOUD CONTINUES THE WRECKING- 
THE IRREPRESSIBLE BRADY DESCRIBES THE 
APPEARANCE OF THE IRISH INDIANS-THE RE¬ 
TURN OF THE TWO WRECKERS-ALL THE 
WRECKERS WEIGH ANCHOR-FRED RANSOM 
MAKES THE ACQUAINTANCE OF THE FAMILY 
OF CAPTAIN BOWERS. 


Y the following morning, the water 
along the coast had subsided to its 
usual level, and the depth on the 
Reef had so decreased that the 
Flying Cloud was no longer able 
to approach the side of the ship. 
This was of little consequence, for 
the principal part of the furniture that had 
escaped damage sufficiently to render it worth 
removal had been saved in the four cargoes 
which had been taken from the ship. The two 
quarter-boats were now employed in trans- 
^rting all that remained undamaged, and even 
^,he little dingy did her share in the work. 



OR i’RED RANSOM. 


2G7 


The water was now sufficiently low to enable 
us to get at the kits of the sailors, and they 
were immediately removed to the schooner, 
whose rigging was soon dressed with garments 
hung out to dry. The clothes of the captain of 
the ship, and of his chief mate, had been saved 
upon the first occasion upon which the three 
schooners had lain along-side of the wreck. 
The level of the cabin being much higher than 
that of the forecastle, they were out of reach of 
the water after the waves ceased to break over 
the ship. 

By night-time, we had collected quite a 
number of other things that were worth saving, 
and had stowed them aboard of the schooner. 
On the following morning, the Flying Cloud 
sailed as near to the Beef as she could approach 
without danger of grounding, and the boats 
went to and from the wreck, until almost 
every thing above water, and portable, had been 
removed. 

The next day, the 26th, as the weather after 
the storm was becoming quite hot again, and 
the addition of the ship’s crew to the small 
accommodations forward rendered the place so 
close as to be almost intolerable, some men 
were sent on shore and rigged up awnings made 
of spare sails that had belonged to the ship. 
Under the protection of these, a portion of the 


THE YOUNG tfRECHER, 

fillip s crew spent that night, in company with 
the party on guard. While the men were en¬ 
gaged on shore, with the party of Ruggles, in 
constructing these makeshifts for tents. Captain 
Bowers got the Flying Cloud under way, and 
ra.n through the channel which crossed the 
Beef. On reaching the Gulf edge of the Reef, 
he laid up along it, until opposite to the wreck, 
and let go his anchor in about seventeen fa¬ 
thoms of water. He then lowered the remain¬ 
ing quarter-boat (the party on shore had been 
allowed to retain one), and sent it aboard the ship 
to get the chain-cable. Meanwhile, we passed 
out of one of the schooner’s hawse-holes the end 
of the cable of the anchor that was hanging at 
her bow. In a short time, the men who had 
been despatched to the ship had made a line 
fast to the end of her ca*ble, and lowered it into 
the stern-sheets of the boat. They then hauled 
into the boat a little of the slack, and with 
much difficulty rowed to the schooner; for, 
although the cable was quite slack, for the 
reason-that the ship had changed position after 
having struck on the Reef, yet, be it remem¬ 
bered that any chain-cable is a very heavy 
thing, and that of a ship particularly massive. 
With some trouble, we managed to pass the 
end of the cable through the hawse-hole from 
which we had removed our c ble. The men theu 


OK FRED RANSOM. 


26D 

ho e away at the windlass. As our own chain 
Cii ne home through one hawse-hole, a large gang 
ol men hauled ia the ship’s cable through the 
other; and just as our anchor broke ground, 
the ship’s cable was passed around the bitts, 
and the men continuing to heave at the wind¬ 
lass, we at once swung at the ship’s anchor. 
As it was lying outside of the place for which 
the schooner had headed, in weighing her own 
anchor, her stern fell off, and she headed to¬ 
wards the Gulf. We took in over a hundred 
fathoms of chain before we got the ship’s anchor 
apeak. For the slwp to have dragged ashore 
wdth over a hundred fathoms of scope out shows 
what must have been the violence of the gale in 
which she was wrecked. 

When we got the anchor to the cathead, we 
found that it was too heavy to be carried there, 
for it put the schooner entirely out of trim; so 
we hoisted it aboard, and placed it about amid- 
shi})S, just forward of the main hatchway. 

There was little hope of getting the other 
anchor, had been cast in about twenty 
fathoms of water. When the chain had parted, 
it was at a point so far from the E.eef, that it 
woulvd have been difficult to find the end of the 
cable, unless upon such an occasion as one al¬ 
ready described, when the water was so limpid 
that it resembled molten glass. The short piece 
23 * 


270 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

of cable, wliich still hung through the hawse- 
hole in the ship’s bow, was secured by our quar¬ 
ter-boat; and we then ran down the edge of 
the Reef, sailed through the channel across it, 
and came to anchor in the Reef-Channel. 

Here, after every thing was made snug, we 
again lowered our quarter-boat, and sent the 
rest of the ship’s crew ashore, with directions 
to remain there with their shipmates, and to 
relieve Ru^s^les and the schooner’s men who were 
stationed there. They were told to keep one 
of the quarter-boats, but were cautioned to haul 
it up on the beach, beyond the reach of the 
sea. In the course of half an hour, Ruggles 
and the rest of the party, detailed for the first 
guard on shore, came aboard. Very glad they 
were to be relieved from their duty. Brady, in 
great glee, climbed up the side of the schooner. 
When he got on deck, I asked him how he liked 
it ashore. 

Musha! musha!” said he, working his 
shoulders around inside of his shirt, “ the mus- 
katees and sand-flies is enough to ate a man up 
be night.” 

And the Indians by day,” said I, jokingly. 

^^It was the porruk he ate, ’ retorted Brady. 
“ Bad luck till him!” 

** In Ireland,’’ said I, you are not bothered 


OE FRED RANSOM. 271 

with Indians. You Ve got the advantage of ua 
there.” 

We ’re not,” answered Brady, “ that’s thrue 
for ye, Misther Fred; but if ye mane to say 
there’s no Ingins there, ye’re meestakin’. In 
Ireland they ’re dacent drissed and behaved— 
that’s the difference.” 

Do they look at all like the Indians here/* 
said I, choking down premonitory symptoms of 
a laugh. 

^‘Wid graisy clothes on, and leather poorsea 
on their fate ? Indade they do n’t! I wunst 
see a tribe of thim, and ivery mither’s son of 
’em a chafe, and liad a complate shoot of black, 
wid a satin waistcoat to match.” 

This picture of a tribe of Indians was too 
much for me. I burst out laughing, much to 
the affected surprise of Brady, who kept 
saying, 

“ An’ what’s so quare about their drissing 
that way ? It’s jew to the riches of the coun- 
thry.” 

‘'But, Brady,” suggested I,—thinking that I 
could nonplus him once,—“how could each 
man be chief?” 

“ Och! how should I know the arringements 
they has?” replied the immovable Brady. “In 
Ameriky aint ivery win of uz a sovereign ?” 

With this unanswerable argument, Brady 


272 THE YO ;ng weecker, 

joined tlie gang of men, wlio, hy tliis time, had 
hooked the falls to the boat, and were engaged 
in hoisting her to the davits. 

On the morning of the 27th, the boat from 
the schooner, and th it from the shore,, again 
visited the wreck to get the few things which 
still remained above the level of the water in 
the hold. About ten o'clock, they had collected 
a number of small articles, and put them aboard 
of the Flying Cloud. The Flying Cloud then 
got under way, and sailed across to the Key; 
and there she commenced to take in a cargo. 
About two o’clock in the afternoon, the two 
wreckers, which had been despatched to Key 
West, hove in sight, and by four o’clock they 
came to anchor near us. Then, for the rest of 
the afternoon, the place presented a lively scene, 
as the men busily loaded the boats, and rowed 
them to and fro between the schooners and the 
shore. 

Early on the 28th, the loading was resumed, 
and, by evening, every thing had been removed 
from the beach to the schooners. That is, every 
thing except some small articles which our 
Indian friends had chosen to pilfer. As they 
were of very small value, both Captain Bowers 
and the captain of the ship judged it expedient 
to wink at the theft, rather than, for the sake of 
obtaining their restitution, run the risk of a 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


273 


disturbance which might make enemies of the 
neighboring Indians, and perhaps result in a 
collision between them and the wreckers. ^ 

On the following morning, the three schooners 
got under way about the same time, and ran 
down the Eeef. The Flying Cloud was the 
last to get under way, but she soon overhauled 
and passed her consorts. 

We did not anchor at night. Having' a hiir 
wind, we kept on our course down the E,eef- 
Channel, and early the next morning, after a 
pleasant voyage, came in sight of Key West. 
Here, the three schooners hauled along-side 
of the wharves in front of the warehouses be¬ 
longing to our owners, and the unloading and 
stowing of the goods commenced. 

The captain and George took me up to their 
house, where I was introduced to the kimily, 
which consisted of Mrs. Bowers, a son, and a 
daughter. George and I continued to sleep 
aboard of the schooner, but when we were not 
obliged by duty to remain aboard, we went up 
to the house; where Mrs. Bowers always greeted 
me so kindly, and appeared to take so lively an 
interest in me, that I knew there was no danger 
of wearing out my welcome. 


274 


THE YOUNG WEECKEB, 


SZXXZ- 

THE SALVAGE SETTLED BY THE ADMIRALTY 
COURT IN KEY WEST-THE FLYING CLOUD 
SAILS FROM KEY WEST-SHE COMES TO 
ANCHOR OFF INDIAN KEY-THE CAPTAIN, 
GEORGE, AND FRED, GO ASHORE AND SPEND 
THE EVENING WITH THE FAMILY OF DOCTOR 
CLUZEL. 



T will not interest you to know 
the particulars of our stay in 
Key West, so I shall not dwell upon 
them. At first, our time was taken 
up in unloading the schooner, and in 
storing the goods in the warehouses 
in which the first cargoes had been 
placed. Then came the decision of 
the Court in regard to the amount of salvage 
due, and until that mattei was decided, the 
attendance of Captain Bowers was necessary. 
The underwriters were in Court to attend to 
the interests of the Insurance Companies, for 
the ship had been partially insured. The cap¬ 
tain, officers, and crew of the ship, were also 


OR FRED RA.NSOM. 


S75 


detained for some time to give, their testimony, 
h’iiially, the cargo was sold, the amount of sal¬ 
vage was awarded, and the whole business 
closed. Each of the men was paid his share of 
the money received for salvage, and upon Cap¬ 
tain Bowers’ representation to our owners that I 
had performed duty in steering the boats, and in 
doing whatever else had lain in my power towards 
saving the cargo, they were so generous as to 
make me a present of a hundred dollars. This 
sum I asked that they would allow to remain on 
deposit with them, so that I might draw upon 
it in amounts that my necessities might demand. 
The request was granted, and I found myself 
the happy possessor of a bank-account made 
up of a sum won by my own exertions. This 
money, added to what remained undrawn of the 
monthly stipend allowed by my father, amounted 
to nearly one hundred and fifty dollars. 

As soon as every thing was settled, and just 
before our departure from Key West, I wrote 
a long letter to my father, in which I described 
the events that have been narrated in the last* 
few chapters. I mentioned the money which I 
had earned, and told him that he need no longer 
furnish me with an allowance. Captain Bowers, 
observing me about to seal my letter, said that 
he would like to add a postscript. I handed 
my letter to him, and he scribbled a line or 


276 THE YOUNG WHECHER, 

two. In tlie next letter that I received from 
my father, he said: “ 1 ani rejoiced to learn 

from the postscript which the captain added to 
your last letter, that he thinks well of you.'* 
It was not until many years afterwards, that, 
among my father's papers, I chanced to see the 
postscript. The captain had written, Have 
no fears for your boy. You will be satisfied with 
him." 

While I was in Key West, feeling that I was 
now quite rich, I purchased an irresistible 
basket, made of milk-white shells. The frame¬ 
work was constructed of delicate silver wire. 
The shells were threaded on the body of the 
basket, so as to form imitations of roses and 
other flowers; while, on the handle, the most 
minute of minute shells were used to represent 
delicate clustering tendrils. Some of these 
baskets, which are made in the Bahamas, are 
formed of shells of a uniform color. Others 
are made of shells of colors so intermingled as 
to present a most variegated appearance. The 
handsomest baskets that I ever saw, were those 
which were either roseate or white; and, of 
these, the white are the handsomer, owing to 
the extreme delicacy and pearly lustre of the 
shells. 

After making a few repairs, and taking in a 
supply of provisions and water, we set sail from 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


277 


Key West, early on the morning of the 26th 
of March. Late in the afternoon, we let go 
our anchor off Indian Key j the same Key near 
which we had anchored on my first voyage up 
the Eeef, and just north of which we for 
some time afterwards occupied a wrecking 
station. 

On the former occasion, when we anchored 
off Indiah Key, the captain, it will be recol¬ 
lected, went ashore, but I did not accompany 
him, and had -no opportunity of seeing the 
place, except what I could distinguish from the 
deck of the Flying Cloud. This time, as soon 
as every thing was made snug, the captain 
ordered the men to lower one of the boats, and 
took George and me ashore with him. We 
learned with pleasure that we were going to 
spend the evening with a family named Cluzel, 
with whom the captain and George were ac¬ 
quainted. The family was composed of Dr. 
Cluzel, his wife, and three children, two of 
whom were young girls, and the other was a 
boy younger than George. 

The doctor was an extremely well-educated 
man, being, in addition to his general attain¬ 
ments, a naturalist of no small learning and 
repute. His residence on the Florida Keys 
afforded him an opportunity of pursuing his 
favorite study, and he indulged in it with aU 
24 


278 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

the ardor which actuates those who have once 
contracted a love for that science. He had a 
fine collection of works on Natural History and 
kindred topics, as well as a very fair library of 
general reading. In fact, his house on Indian 
Key was an intellectual oasis. To a man fond 
of any other branch of study, the isolation of 
such a residence would have been intolerable; 
but with his family, his books, his papers, and 
the world of knowledge that the Keef laid at his 
feet, the doctor craved no addition to his society, 
excepting the transient visit of a friend. As for 
his wife and children, they did not feel the 
loneliness of their situation; for the latter had 
never known any thing else, and the world of 
the form er, as may be truly said in praise of 
most women, was in the affections. 

We rowed, I might almost say, up to the 
doctor’s very door. His house was built on 
the shore of the Key; so near that one end was 
supported by piles, which formed a secure foun¬ 
dation for the structure, and inclosed a sort of 
Jooded cellar, into which the tide washed 
through the interstices. This wharf-like cellar 
was used by the family as a bath-room. Below 
the contiguous wharf was a large turtle-crawl, 
from which the family could always draw a 
supply of turtle, fresh from this little fenced-in 
bit of ocean. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


279 


On landing, the captain and George walked 
with me a short distance beyond the beach, for 
the purpose of allowing me to get some idea of 
the character of the settlement; but fearful lest 
the doctor’s family might happen to perceive us 
from the windows of the house, and suppose, 
from our straying past, that we were not eager 
to see them, we returned to the house and 
knocked at the door. I had, however, seen 
enough of the settlement to ascertain that it 
was very small, that the houses were of an 
humble character, and chiefly tenanted by fish¬ 
ermen and their families. 

On being admitted, we were very kindly 
received by the doctor and his wife, who de¬ 
voted themselves to the entertainment of the 
captain, while George and I were committed to 
the care of the two young ladi s and their 
brother. It was soon dusk, and tea was served. 
After tea. Captain Bowers and the doctor and 
Mrs. Cluzel continued to converse, and we 
younger folks played checkers and backgam¬ 
mon. Wearying of these, and being at the 
same time attracted by some of the words 
which reached us from the other group, we left 
our games, and collected around the elder 
people. The doctor was discoursing about some 
of the many strange things which he had ob¬ 
served during his residence on the Beef; and, 


280 THE Y.OUNG WRECKER, 

in the course of the evening, he disclosed a store 
of knowledge so varied and abundant, that ho 
had no more attentive and charmed listeners 
than the younger members of the party. It 
was eleven o'clock before we bade the family 
good-night, and, accompanied by the doctor, 
walked down to the beach, and hailed the 
schooner to send the boat ashore. 


OR FEED EANSOM. 


281 


THE FLYING CLOUD SAILS FROM INDIAN KEY- 
SHE ARRIVES AT HER OLD ANCHORAGE-THE 
CAPTAIN VISITS THE WRECK-THE CREW SET 
TO WORK TO SAVE THE IRON ABOUT IT. 

T daylight we were again under 
way. Whenever we anchored at 
night, we always weighed anchor 
at the first faint streaks of light in 
the eastern horizon. The wind was 
ahead, and the schooner was obliged 
to beat all day. Towards night, the 
wind freshened and shifted, enabling us to lay 
nearer to our course. Before morning, it hauled 
again, so that we vvere obliged to recommence 
tacking. The captain therefore cast anchor for 
tDree or four hours, and, just before day, got 
under way again. Late in the afternoon of the 
second day of our departure from Indian Key, 
we came to at our old anchorage and station off 
Key Biscayne. 

There, on the Beef, a few miles away, lay 



28^ THE YOUNG WRECK:ER, 

tte hull of the wreck. I could hardly refrain 
from apostrophizing the thing as something 
from which life had departed. More to the 
ship, than to any thing made by man, does it 
seem as if he had imparted a ray of his intel¬ 
ligence. The ship is so beautiful in its symme¬ 
try ; its career is so adventurous and checkered; 
it so promptly and unerringly obeys the slight¬ 
est impulse from the will of its master,—that it 
seems more life-like than a mere mass of 
timber, iron, and cordage. And when fate 
decrees that it shall lie stranded on the shore, 
it seems like some huge departed leviathan 
that cumbers the spot with its colossal skel¬ 
eton. 

On the following day, we made our usuai 
cruise up and down the Reef; and after we came 
to anchor, the captain took one of the boats, 
and went on a visit of inspection to the ship. 
George and I accompanied him, and were very 
glad to revisit the scene of our first wrecking 
exploit. Since we had been at the place, the 
sea had made sad havoc with the timbers of the 
great structure, which, for many a year, had 
sailed from continent to continent, and defied 
the elements. The merciless waves had 
vengefully battered in the sides, and rent and 
scarred the bottom, by grinding it against the 
sharp-pointed coral. Masses of bulwarks that 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


283 


had once been timber and plank, so securely 
jointed and battened, that nature itself could 
scarcely have wedded them more closely, hung at 
the ship’s sides, and swayed helplessly to and fro. 
The rudder was gone; the figure-head, the 
crew’s heau ideal of female loveliness, was 
washed away. Nothing was left of all the 
beauty with which, on that fatal afternoon, the 
graceful object had careered to its tomb upon 
the Reef. 

And we, insatiate mortals, were not to be sat¬ 
isfied until we had secured the last vestige. Mo¬ 
ney was again to produce something else; perhaps 
help to produce something identical; to go, per¬ 
haps, through the same ordeal, and to encounter, 
perhaps, the same fate. What of that? Should 
we object to imitate a law of the universe— 
the economy of Nature? Nothing is absolutely 
lost. “ Imperious Caesar dead, and turned to 
clay, might stop a hole to keep the wind away.” 

The captain said to us, as we rowed slowly 
around the wreck: 

“ Well, boys, there’s a good deal of stuff 
about her yet, that’s worth saving. We’ll 
commence to-morrow. I reckon, too, we’ll be 
able to get the other cable, by grappling for it.” 

The result of the captain’s inspection of the 
wreck was that instead of coming to anchor 
after our next morning’s cruise, we ran out 


284 THE YOUNT WRECKER, 

through the channel across the Eeef. The 
captain sent one boat's crew aboard the ship, 
for the purpose of detaching all the planking 
that was loose, while, with another boat’s crew, 
he commenced grappling for the cable which 
we had not saved. We had so good an idea of 
the direction from which the ship drifted on 
the Eeef, from our knowledge of the direction 
of the wind at the time, that although tke 
water was not clear, and we wer.e obliged to 
rely entirely upon the grappling-irons, we man¬ 
aged, in the course of several hours’ persis¬ 
tent dragging, to get hold of the cable. As 
upon the previous occasion, the end of one of 
our cables was removed from its hawse-hole, 
and we hove the ship’s anchor to the cathead, 
hoisted it aboard, and stowed it just abaft the 
foremast. 

Meanwhile, the boat’s crew at the ship had, 
by using axes, managed to detach great pieces 
of the bulwarks, which they lowered into fa¬ 
vorable positions for drifting ashore. These 
would not have been cut away and set afloat, 
had not the wind been blowing towards shore. 
On the following morning, the boats visited 
the beaches along the Keys, made lines fast 
to these rafts of timber and plank, and took 
them in tow to the Key where the clearing had 
been made. Then, with the aid of purchases 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


285 


rigged to trees, they were hauled ashore and 
fired. When they were reduced to ashes, the 
iron with which they had been fastened was 
carefully collected and deposited in rough lock¬ 
ers on board of the schooner. We found the 
ship’s masts, and a good many stray bits of 
cordage which would serve as old junk. All 
these things were carefully preserved, for every 
thing of the sort is valuable. 

By sending axemen to complete the work 
which the sea from time to time partially exe¬ 
cuted for us, we made so thorough work with 
the wreck, that, in the course of a few weeks, 
nothing of it was left but the great mouldering 
ribs, in which the worms were making extensive 
ravages. 


286 THE YOUNQ WRECKER, 


GEORGE BOWERS AND FRED RANSOM MAKE A 
VOYAGE-THE OAK FORESTS ON THE ST. 
JOHN’S RIVER-THE CAPTAIN’S INVITATION TO 
THE BO YS ON THEIR RETURN-F I S H I N G AT 
NIGHT, WITHOUT HOOKS OR BAIT-THE SPORT, 
AND HOW IT WAS ENJOYED. 



OWAEDS the middle of April, a 
sloop stopped at our station. Her 
captain was acquainted with Captain 
Bowers, and came aboard of the 
Flying Cloud to say, that as his 
vessel was short-handed, and he had 
to go up the coast to St. John’s 
Biver, he would be obliged if the Flying Cloud 
could let him have a man for a few days. This 
request Captain Bowers could not grant, but he 
offered the captain to let George and me go, if 
we were willing, as we, he was pleased to say, 
were supernumeraries. The captain of the 
sloop accepted the offer, and we boys, always 
ready to welcome any novelty, went aboard 


OE FEED EANSOM. 287 

of liis vessel. We were gone just nineteen 
days. 

The course of the St. John’s is peculiar. A 
few miles from its mouth, it takes a sudden 
turn to the southward, and runs parallel with 
the coast. The shores are densely wooded, and, 
in t.he broad parts of the river, the scenery is 
very agreeable. 

We saw great forests of oak covered with 
Spanish-moss. In their dense shades, the moss 
hung in flowing masses that looked like long 
gray giant-beards. When the rays of the sun 
struck aslant through them, they were pene¬ 
trated and suffused with light so rich, yet so 
soft, that they seemed dripping from a bath 
of silvery-gold. Nothing can be imagined more 
funereal, more weird, than one of these dense 
forests, at sunset; when the darkness of night 
has settled on the ground, and stolen around the 
huge trunks of the oaks; while above, in gentle 
gradations of light, the long, waving, gauzy 
drapery grows brighter and brighter, until, on 
the topmost branches and twigs, it shines re- 
splendently. 

After procuring the lumber for which the 
sloop had entered the river, we set sail for the 
mouth, put to sea, and, in three days from that 
time, George and I were once more on hoard of 
the Flying Cloud, We were rejoiced to get 


288 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


back to the schooner. Life on the Beef had 
more charm in a day, than our voyage of over 
half a month had afforded. As we had shipped 
to supply the place of one man on the voyage 
to St. John’s Eiver, we were paid what one 
man would have received for wages, and divided 
th<^ sum between us. 

Although the month of April was nearly 
spent, there was not a marked change in the 
climat^y on the Eeef. As for the appearance of 
the couiitiy, the verdure is the same throughout 
the who'e year, and summer is perennial. Un¬ 
der oui mosquito bars on the quarter-deck, 
George i nd I luxuriated in the coolness of the 
nights. In all my experience, I recollect no 
couch so delightful as that quarter-deck. In 
clear weather, the water was so tranquil that 
we could just feel the undulation of the schooner, 
as she dipped her bow into the glassy waves. 
Looking upward, we beheld the pure firmament 
bespangled with brilliant stars; and the gentle 
breeze fanned us, and sang a lullaby that min¬ 
gled pleasantly with the dull roar of the break¬ 
ers on the far-off Eeef. What more could two 
boys of our age desire, than all that we pos¬ 
sessed ? We had studies to give zest to recrea¬ 
tion, and recreation and repose surrounded by 
romance. 

A few nights after our return, the captain, 


OR FEED EANSOM. 


289 


who did not often indulge in sporting, said to 
us boys that he would show us a kind of fishing 
that we had never seen. We jumped at the 
offer, not only because there was novelty at¬ 
tending it, but because the captain was to be 
of the party. George eagerly exclaimed: 

What day is to be, father ?” 

It is not to be any day,” replied the captain, 

it is to be at night,—to-night, if you like. 
What do you say to to-night? What do you 
say, Fred?” 

We are ready,” we both answered. 

What bait shall we prepare ?” inquired I. 

“ No bait at all,” replied the captain. 

No bait!” exclaimed George. Fishing 
by night, and with no bait!—well, that is 
strange fishing!” 

“ Perhaps it is because it is at night,” said I, 
laughing, that we do n't need any bait, be¬ 
cause the fish could n't see it if it was on the 
hook.” 

“ How is it, father ?” asked George, jocosely, 
*Mo the fish get caught by running afoul of 
the hooks in the dark ?” 

‘^We sha’n't need hooks!” replied the cap¬ 
tain, making his eyes as big as saucers, sta¬ 
ring from one of us to the other, and enjoying 
our puzzled expression. 

25 


290 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

“ We give it up, father,” said George, “ now 
do n’t tease us any longer.” 

You will see,” said the captain, mysteri¬ 
ously. Tell the men to lower one of the 
boats.” 

Captain Bowers ordered some very myste¬ 
rious looking apparatus to be stowed in the bow 
of the boat, and in five ^minutes we were 
pulling for the shore. The captain steered 
along the Keys, towards the southward. We 
rowed close to the line of mangroves, just 
within the verge of their shadows, cast by the 
faint starlight. After having passed three or 
four Keys, the boat headed for the entrance to 
one of the inlets. Keeping towards the Key 
on the port hand, the captain suddenly shot 
the boat into an obscure inlet which led into a 
lake comprising nearly the whole of the Key, 
and which George and I imagined to be our 
possession by the right of original discovery. 

‘‘ Do you know this place ?” said George to 
his father. ‘‘ I thought no one but Fred and I 
knew it.” 

“ Boys are very apt to think similarly about 
many things,” replied the captain, drily. 

The oars were unshipped, and the men, grasp¬ 
ing the overhanging boughs and twigs, dragged 
the boat through the inlet, until she shot out 
upon the placid bosom of the lake, whose shores 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


291 


the starlight faintly revealed in dreamy out¬ 
line. 

''That’ll do, my men;” said the captain, 
"now fire up.” 

On each side of the boat, the men hooked a 
couple of iron things, like little grates, into 
which receptacles they put pine knots and 
tarry pieces of rope. They then struck a light, 
and ignited the stuff. The flames sprang up, 
and in a minute we had a couple of bright 
bonfires, crackling and smoking and dropping 
tlieir embers with a seething noise into the 
water. In, and immediately around, the boat, 
the scene was brilliant in the extreme; but, be¬ 
yond, a circular wall of impenetrable darkness 
shut in the view. 

" Here are your hooks,” said the captain, 
handing George and me a pair of short spears 
with several barbs on them. " What are you 
looking up in the air for ? Look at the 
bottom.” 

Hereupon, George and I, who had been gazing 
around, charmed at the brilliant spectacle, cast 
our eyes towards the water. Imagine our sur¬ 
prise, when we found that we could see the 
bottom as clearly as at noonday; and that, 
over it, darting about in all directions, were fish 
of every description. We were so delighted 
at this sight, that we began to shout aixl 
strike wildly into the water. The captain 


292 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


commanded silence, and stationing a man 
astern, with a long pole, the boat was urged 
gently through the water, and we were cau¬ 
tioned to make allowance for the refraction, 
when we were about to strike at a fish. The 
grates were constantly replenished with pine 
knots, tarry rope, and oakum; and we went 
blazing along, harpooning, and struggling with 
our prizes, some of which were so huge that 
they were as much as we could master. Just 
as we had made the circuit of the lake, a great 
barracuda, terrified at the fiery dragon of a 
boat, which was sweeping resistlessly along, 
leaped into its maw. As we had secured 
plenty of fish, and it was neither the cap¬ 
tain’s wish, nor ours, to indulge in wanton 
destruction, we desisted from our sport, and 
laid aside our spears. A few handfuls of water, 
thrown into the grates, soon quenched the fire. 
The grates were then unhooked, emptied, and 
stowed away in the boat, and the men rowed 
until we arrived at the inner mouth of the little 
inlet, through which, as before, we hauled 
the boat. We came out upon the rufiled 

waters of the Reef-Channel, and within hearino^ 
« , o 

of the sound of the distant surge. There was 
no merrier laughter along the coast, than that 
with which George and I, on our return, 
counted our spoils, and talked over our exploits 
in spearing. 


OE FEED EA.^SOM. 


293 


OKC-A-DPTEE. XXZSCIV 

HOW TO FIND A TURTLE’S NEST-HABITS OF 
THE TURTLE-TURNING TURTLES. 


T was on the night of the 7th of 
May, that we speared fish by 
fire-light. George and I were so fas¬ 
cinated with it, that, only two or three 
nights afterwards, we begged the 
captain to indulge us with a renewal 
of the sport. It was by far the best 
in which we had engaged. We fancied it, not 
solely on account of the novelty of using short 
trident-like spears, instead of fish-hooks, but 
because the accompaniments were so charming. 
The ruddy glare of the fire; the glowing 
stretch of water; the dark shadows cf the 
woods; the sight of the fish as they dan over 
the bottom,—all these circumstances combine 
to render the scene in the highest degree pic¬ 
turesque. 

Our first excursion was our last, for the 
captain could not be prevailed upon to go again, 
26 * 



294 THK YOUNG WRECKER, 

and he would not let us take the boat at night. 
We had ample amends, however, in some new 
enterprises which I must describe. 

' One morniiig, about the middle of the month, 
George and I did not go with the schooner on 
her morning cruise, but rowed off, ashore, to 
have a day’s fishing and gunning. The tide 
was rising, and had almost reached high-water- 
mark. We were rowing along one of the 
beaches, when George said to me: 

“Fred, do you see that mark on the sand, 
between the edge of the beach-grass, and where 
the water is now ? Do you know what that 
ie?” 

“ No,” said I, “ what is it ?” 

“ Guess,” he answered. 

“A piece of brushwood, or perhaps drift- 
timber, that has scraped down the beach at the 
last ebb.” 

“ No it is n’t,” said he; “ it’s the track of a 
turtle. There’s a turtle’s nest near there.” 

“ A turtle’s nest,” shouted I, pulling on one 
oar, so as to bring the boat’s head on the beach. 
“ I’m bound to have it.” 

We jumped on shore, and George whittled a 
straight stick, so as to make it more slender, 
and adding a sharp point to it, he went opposite 
to the place where the mark appeared on the 
beach, and walked about, carefully examining 


OR FRED RANSOM. 295 

the, sand above liigh-water-mark. At last, he 
said: 

“ Here it is. Now come here before 1 dis¬ 
turb the sand, and I ’ll show you how to find a 
turtle’s nest. The Conchs taught me; and what 
they do n’t know about fishing, turtling, and 
egging, isn’t worth knowing. You must know 
that turtles choose a moonlight night and high- 
water to come upon the beach to lay their eggs. 
How they can tell it’s a moonlight night, I can 
understand, but how they know it’s high-water 
is a peg beyond me. It takes them only a few 
minutes to lay their eggs, and then, down they 
souse into the water. But as they come up at 
the top of high-water, the tide falls a little be¬ 
fore they can get away, so they leave their tracks 
on the beach below high-water-mark. The 
next tide washes them all away, but we came 
across this place before the tide had risen again. 
The tracks are one sign. The other is this. 
Do you see a kind of crescent, cut into the 
loose sand among this beach-grass, above high- 
water-mark? That’s the place the turtle 
touches with the hind end of its shell, as it turns 
to go tack to the water, after it has covered 
its eggs, and smoothed the sand over them. If 
we had been ten minutes later, the tide would 
have washed away the tracks on the beach; and 
if there had been any wind, this loose sand 


296 ' THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

would have shifted so that there would n't^have 
been any sign at all here.” 

I think that you had better set about find¬ 
ing the nest,” said I. It would be a joke, if, 
after all your directions for finding turtles’ eggs, 
you could n’t find any.” 

‘^You never mind,” replied George, good- 
humoredly, “ I have to take your instruction 
every day, and it’s my turn now. You do n’t 
know every thing. I’m just as sure that 
there’s a turtle’s nest where that crescent in 
the sand is—well, now look !” 

Hereupon, he commenced to punch the sand 
with the sharp ^tick, and every now and then 
examined the point of it. After jobbing it down 
several times to the depth of about a foot, he 
held the point towards me, and said, trium¬ 
phantly, 

“ What do you call that ?” 

** It looks exceedingly like egg,” said I. 

“ That’s just what it is,” he replied, going 
down on his hands and knees, and commencing 
to dig a hole in the sand. 

I followed his example; and when we had dug 
to tlie depth of a little over a foot, w^ came to 
the eggs. 

Ten, twenty, thirty, forty, fifty,” cried I, in 
amazement. Why, here is another layer uin 


OR FRED RANSOM. 297 

derneatli; sixty, seventy, eighty, ninety. Why, 
there are over a hundred!” 

We found a hundred and seventy; and then 
George ran hastily along the beach to see if he 
could find any more turtle-tracks before the 
tide rose to high-water-mark. JTe found a 
place about two hundred yards off, and after 
the usual jobbing with the stick, we discovered 
the nest, and took a hundred and forty-one 
eggs. Three hundred and eleven eggs in two 
nests! We found a secure place in which we 
buried them slightly under the sand, to secure 
them against birds, and then went off on our 
projected expedition. Tn the evening, we 
stopped at the’ place, and carried the eggs 
aboard of the schooner. 

On the following morning, when the schooner 
was under way, George and I were on deck 
talking over our good luck of the preceding 
day. The captain, hearing part of our conver¬ 
sation, joined us, and inquired how we would 
like to turn a turtle on the beach. “ For then,” 
continued he, you will have the eggs, and the 
hen too.” 

It was agreed that we would go ashore 
that night, and turn turtle. The season being 
that when the turtles commence to lay, the 
captain was certain that we would capture at 
least one. He told me many interesting things 


298 


THE YOtJNG WRECKER, 


about turtles. It seems that, numerous aa 
the eggs were in tiie nests which we found, 
they form only a portion of those laid by 
a turtle in the course of a season. The 
green-turtle lays three sets of eggs, two in 
May, and one in June. The sum-total of eggs 
is about two hundred and fifty. The hawksbill- 
turtle lays two sets of eggs, one in July, and 
one in August. The whole number of eggs 
laid is about three hundred. The loggerhead- 
turtle lays in May and June, three sets of eggs, 
which amount to about five hundred. The 
trunk-turtle lays three sets of eggs, which 
amount to about three hundred and fifty. 

The habits of the turtles, in laying, are very 
different. The loggerhead and trunk turtles, 
being the largest and fiercest species, are not 
nearly so shy as the green and hawksbill turtles. 
The last two resort to the most unfrequented 
places, although the green-turtle penetrates the 
indentations on the coast. The hawksbill-turtle 
lays only on the wildest Keys, far distant from 
the main-land. 

About nine o’clock that night, one of the 
quarter-boats was lowered, and the captain, 
George, and I, pulled by five oarsmen, rowed 
towards shore. The moon was full, and shone 
with that silvery lustre which sheds a beauti¬ 
fying influence upon the most commonplace 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


299 


objects, and invests the really beautiful with a 
charm so mysterious and solemn, that the 
observer feels as if in a scene of enchantment. 

Our keel soon grated on a beach which 
stretched away for two miles, with its wh.te 
coral sand reflecting the soft light which bathed 
it throughout the whole of its graceful sweep. 
We leaped ashore, and hauled the boat above 
high-water-mark, until it was almost hidden 
among the beach-grass and low brushwood. 

Now,” said Captain Bowers to the men, 
scatter along the beach, about the same dis¬ 
tance apart, just above high-water-mark; lie 
low, ^.nd don’t make any noise. You Conchs 
understand the business better than I do, but 
you, Brady, if you’ve got any yarns to tell, 
keep them till you get aboard.” 

The five men walked ofi* along the beach, 
and, occasionally, we could see one of them 
leave the party and disappear in the shadows 
of the brushwood above high-water-mark. At 
last, in the far distance, was discernible a single 
figure wending its way along the bright beach; 
then it vanished, and the scene lay silent and 
deserted in the silvery sheen of the moonligRt. 

The tide crept slowly up the beach, and 
commenced, with a gently plashing sound, to 
lave the jagged points of coral which cropped 
out of the send just below high-water-mark. 


300 THE YOUNG WRECKEK, 

You must be very quiet, boys,” whispered 
the captain, as we all crouched behind the high 
tufts of beach-grass. ‘'If a turtle comes up 
near us, it will be off at the slightest noise.’ 

“ Aye, aye, sir,” we whispered in reply, as 
we kept a strict watch on the beach. 

“ There is one,” said the captain. 

“ Where ? where ?” we eagerly whispered. 

“ On the beach, about a quarter of a mile off,” 
replied the captain; “near that dark-looking 
thing like a drift-log. Don’t you see it move? 
there it shows.” 

'.7e saw it, then, as the moonlight shone 
on its wet shell. In a few seconds it was out of 
sight. 

“ Now let me caution you again, boys,” re¬ 
iterated the captain. “ Not a word above your 
breath.” 

The captain adjusted his night-glass, and 
commenced to examine the surface of the 
water. 

“ Pshaw !” said he at last, closing the slides 
of the telescope, and shutting it up. “We’re 
not in luck to-night.” 

He had hardly uttered the words, before a 
prolonged, loud, and startling hiss, came from 
the water; and, as we crouched still lower, and 
looked between the tufts of beach-grass, we saw 


OR FRED RANSOM. 301 

the head of a turtle appearing above the surface 
of the sea. 

‘‘Hist!" said the captain; “lie as close as 
you can." 

We obeyed his injunction, and, at the same 
time, kept our eyes directed towards the turtle, 
fearing that it might not land near us. But it 
swam rapidly towards shore, and dragged its 
unwieldy body out of the water. Its wet shell 
gleamed in the radiance of the moon-beams, like 
a silver shield. The monster stretched its neck 
out of its shell, to the full extent, and crawled 
sluggishly up on the beach-grass, just on the 
other side of the boat. The captain kept his 
forefinger to his lips, by way of enjoining 
silence, and we scarcely breathed. At last, the 
turtle made so much noise, that the captain 
cautiously arose and peered over the edge 
of the boat. Having apparently satisfied 
himself that we would be secure from obser¬ 
vation, he touched us, and motioned to us to 
look over the boat. Raising our eyes just 
above the level of the boat s gunwale, we saw 
the turtle hard at work, scooping a hole with 
its hind flippers. As soon as it had collected a 
heap of sand, a violent flirt of the flippers 
scattered it in every direction. When the 
hole was about a foot and a half deep, the 
animal commenced to deposit its eggs. The 
26 


302 THE YOUNG WRECHEB, 

operation of digging being finished, and that of 
laying commenced, the captain ducked his head 
behind the boat, and saying, “ Now’s our 
chance," ran quickly around it. We followed 
at his heels, seized the turtle, and, by our 
united exertions, turned it on its back. 

T do n’t think that the men can beat this," 
said the captain. It is one of the biggest 
that I ever saw. If we had n’t caught it when 
it was laying, I’m not sure that we would have 
been able to turn it. When turtles are laying, 
which does not take more than ten minutes, 
they do not seem to be alile to stop; but they 
are powerful things, and when they ’re making 
fjjr the water, it’s something of a job to turn 
them.” 

Hollo! Hollo-o ! Hollo-o-o-o-o 1" shouted 
the captain, walking out on the beach, of which 
the rising tide had left but a narrow strip. 

One after another, five dark objects emerged 
from the shadows, and commenced to move 
slowly towards us. By the time that the last 
man arrived, the first-comers, with our assist¬ 
ance, had hampered the turtle’s flippers with a 
piece of marline. We lifted the turtle into the 
boat, and rowed to the place where one had been 
turned by a couple of the men. Its captor had 
accommodated it with a pillow of cwral rock, 
a plan which is sometimes adopted to prevent 


OR FRED RANSOM. 303 

the animal from reversing its position. On a 
favorable slope, it sometimes uses its powerful 
neck to so great advantage as a lever, that it has 
been known to regain its liberty. 

' We hampered the second turtle in the same 
manner in which we had secured the first one, 
and lifted it into the boat. It was not more 
than two thirds of the size of the other. The 
aggregate weight of the two was probably about 
three hundred and fifty pounds. 

^‘Well, Brady,” said the captain to that in¬ 
dividual, who was pulling the stroke-oar as 
we rowed off towards the schooner, “ do n't 
mind me, you must be nearly dead from having 
had to hold your tongue for two hours. What 
about the turtles in Ireland ?” 

Well,” said Brady, there’s this about 
toortle toorning in Ireland; it’s pleasanter sport 
there nor here, for the muskatees.” 

You own up, then,” said the captain, “ that 
you can't beat America in turtles, and you 
have n't got any mosquitoes ?” 

Troth, no!” replied Brady; ^Hhe bigness 
of the toortles there would astonish ye, captain, 
and”—added he, with a sly glance at the cap¬ 
tain—‘Hhe muskatees too; but they're amazin’ 
kind-hearted be the side of the Floridy galli- 
uippers.” 

The turtles were so heavy, that a tackle was 


304 


THE YOUNG WHECKER 


used to hoist them aboard of the schooner. 
The next day, one was despatched, and, with 
the eggs, served as our principal food for three 
or four days. The other turtle was put in a 
shady place, and brine was occasionally poured 
over its head and body. By pursuing this 
treatment, a turtle can be kept alive for a long 
time, without food, and yet preserve its health¬ 
ful condition. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


305 


oh:-A.:e^tek. x:x:x:v. 



THE MIAMI-THE EVERGLADES-THE DEER-HUNT 
THE SIESTA-THE FIGHT WITH PANTHERS- 
INDIANS PROWLING IN THE FOREST. 


UEING the remainder of May, 
and in June and July, the captain 
occasionally indulged us in a tur- 
tling expedition by moonlight, and 
we captured specimens of all the 
various kinds of turtle. As he al¬ 
ways accompanied us, and seemed 
to share in the excitement of the sport, our 
pleasure was very much enhanced. 

Daily we got the Flying Cloud under way, 
and sighted the Eeef for miles on each side of 
our station, but nothing rewarded our vigilance. 
This daily duty at last became exceedingly mo¬ 
notonous, and had we not had recourse to expe¬ 
ditions for the purpose of procuring turtles, fish, 
eggs, and birds, we would have experienced en¬ 
nui, despite the admirable collection of books 
26 * 



306 


THE YOUNQ WRECKEH, 


which I have mentioned that the captain pos¬ 
sessed. Independently of the spirit of adventure 
which prompted us to make these expeditions, 
they were absolutely necessary, in order to ob¬ 
tain food of a kind that would ward off scurvy, 
which infallibly attacks those who are for a 
long time exclusively confined to a diet of salt 
provisions, with a disproportionate amount of 
vegetable food. 

All things, however, must end, and George 
and I, eager turtlers though we were, tired of 
the moonlight excursions to the beaches, and 
craved some novelty. The stay of George was 
drawing to a close, and the intercourse of the 
occupants of the cabin commenced to be tinged 
with a shade of gloominess, brought about 
by the anticipation of his approaching depar¬ 
ture. 

How little we all know even of the Future 
which is almost the Present! George’s going 
was not nearer than mine. Our departure took 
place soon and simultaneously, by a train of 
startling events, transpiring with so great sud¬ 
denness, that they left us in a maze in which it 
was difficult to collect our thoughts. 

At daylight, on the 5th of August,—owing to 
the approaching departure of George, and in 
fulfilment of a promise which had long be¬ 
fore been made to him, to the effect that 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


307 


before he went, he should have a deer-hunt,— 
Captain Bowers committed the vessel to the 
charge of Buggies. Giving ]iim instructions in 
regard to the day s cruise, and taking George 
and me and Brady in the dingy, the captain set 
Bail for the main-land. We were provided with 
two good fowling-pieces, two fine rifles, and 
an ample supply of ammunition. We did not 
neglect to take fishing-tackle, including the 
grains, although none of us were capable of 
using them skilfully. 

About eight o’clock in the morning, we landed 
ftt the mouth of Miami Pbiver. On the left 
bank, near the mouth, was the little military 
post, garrisoned by a few men. Here the vege¬ 
tation was not dense, and a beautiful grove of 
lime trees surrounded the quarters of the sol¬ 
diers.* Proceeding up the Miami, for a few 
miles, we at length arrived at the place where 
it leaves the Everglades. This was a spot which 
I had long desired to see, and one which, at 
that time, had seldom been trodden by the foot 
of the white man. 

George and I climbed the roof of a solitary 
mill which was built at the head of tlie stream, 

* This post was established in 1837, reestabiished in 
1850, and afterwards deserted. During the late Rebellion, 
the spot was the resort of numbers of white refugees from 
the southern parts of Florida. 


308 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


on the verge of the Everglades; and when we 
had mounted to its ridge, we commanded a view 
for many miles. 

We had penetrated the Miami to its source, 
about three miles from its mouth. This, there¬ 
fore, at that point, is the width of the encircling 
rim ol land which bounds the Everglades, or, as 
it were, the wooded shore of a vast sea of swamp, 
covered with long, waving, yellowish grass, and 
dotted with a perfect archipelago of wooded 
hummocks. Some of the hummocks were quite 
diminutive. Others seemed at least half a mile 
in length. I now realized how difficult it was 
to prosecute the Florida War, then being waged 
in portions of these Everglades, where the In¬ 
dians could lurk in almost impenetrable fast¬ 
nesses, and when approached by a superior 
force, seek safety in flight. In fact, the Flo¬ 
rida War, from the difficult nature of the 
country, had been a bloody game of Hide and 
Seek. 

The Spanish Indians, who had been long 
peaceful, had, for some months, been engaged 
in committing depredations on the settlements 
of the whites, and on shipwrecked sailors: so 
that the practice of providing the wrecking 
vessels with arms had ceased to be a mere form. 
No apprehension, however, of immediate danger 


OR FRED RA.NSOM. 


309 


•n our vicinity, appeared to exist in tlie mind 
of any one with whom we had intercourse. 

After George and I had remained perched 
up on the mill for half an hour, the captain 
hailed us to say that the morning was swiftly 
passing away, and that, if we intended to hunt 
befo»’e noon, we must immediately descend. 

During the heat of the day, deer generally 
lie down in the place where they have been 
grazing. In the open spaces of forests like 
those of Florida, the undergrowth affords con¬ 
cealment, and the animals remain quiet until 
the coolness of the afternoon invites them to 
renew their browsing upon the herbage. The 
kind of hunt upon which we were proceeding, 
is called a still-hunt. This consists in advanc¬ 
ing quietly through the forest, in search of the 
feeding deer, and whenever they graze, the 
huntsman is enabled to advance unperceived; 
but when they raise their heads, he stands 
stock-still, when, although they no doubt often 
perceive him, they do not recognize him as a 
living object. 

Being without hounds, we could not hunt in 
any other manner, for, notwithstanding the 
presence of Jack, and Brady s authority on the 
subject of Newfoundlands as hunting-dogs, the 
captain, if he had ever heard of that sage 
opinion, preferred to attempt a still-hunt. This 


310 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

requires nothing hut a cautious approach and a 
steady hand, and is practised by the solitary, 
keen-eyed rifleman, as successfully as if he were 
a king with a court at his heels. 

We entered the boat and rowed across the 
Miami, and when we reached the other shore, 
the captain took a rifle, and gave us boys the 
two double-barreled fowling-pieces, each of which 
he loaded with sixteen buckshot. Filling our 
pockets with luncheon, and a supply of bullets, 
buckshot, and percussion-caps, and slinging our 
powder-flasks over our shoulders, we left Brady 
in charge of the boat, and plunged into the 
recesses of the forest. 

The morning had slipped away in a most 
strange manner. Our various delays, princi¬ 
pally caused by rowing up the Miami, viewing 
the Everglades, and increased by all sorts of 
little distractions,—among others by examining 
curious objects to which the captain called our 
attention,—had consumed the time from eight 
o’clock, when we landed at the mouth of the 
river, until past noon; and before we had pene¬ 
trated two miles into the forest, the captain, on 
consulting his watch, found that it was verging 
on one o’clock. Not a sign of a deer had we 
seen. The heat was very oppressive, and our 
eagerness began to languish. At last, the 
captain, perceiving that George commenced to 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


311 


lag, suddenly threw himself on the ground, ex¬ 
claiming : 

“ Come, hoys, we may as well take lunch. 
We ’ll not find any deer now, unless we stumble 
over them.” 

We sat down, and spread our stores on the 
ground. They consisted of a few ship-biscuit, 
some sliced tongue and ham, and a canteen of 
switchel, quite warm, but as it was, it sufficed 
to slake our intense thirst. 

Not a leaf stirred. The air^ seemed clogged 
with heat. Not a sound was heard, save—to 
use a paradox—that mysterious voice of silence, 
seeming infinitely distant, yet all-pervading,— 
an inarticulate murmur that fills all space, like 
blended voices speaking in some distant sphere, 
and fixintly borne within the confines of the 
earth. Who has not heard it? And if any 
have not, go where there is silence, and listen, 
and you will hear its voice. The hot air, the 
motionless leaves, the deep shade, the repast, 
the fatigues of the day, affected us all with a 
languor to which we offered no opposition, but 
disposing our heads on our coats, rolled up so 
as to serve as pillows, we were all soon in the 
enjoyment of a profound siesta. 

The captain was the first to awake, and on 
looking at hia watch, found that it was past four 
o’clock. 



312 


THE YOUNG WEECKER 


Come, bays,” said he, ‘‘ up with you. Now 
is the lime to find deer, if there are any in the 
neighborhood.” 

At this summons, George and I, with some 
slight effort, threw off a disposition towards 
sluggishness, and shouldered our guns; while 
Jack, who had been indulging in a nap, and 
like us at first, seemed little disposed to make 
exertion, joined us, and, by his actions, mani¬ 
fested his understanding that the hunt was 
about to be resumed. Before we had gone a 
hundred paces, the effects of our sleep wore 
ofi*. Bevived by the cool breeze, we stepped 
along gaily, peering in every direction to descry 
the game. 

We had walked about half a mile, when we ‘ 
arrived at the opening to a beautiful glade. 
The tall trees shut in the spot so effectually, 
that only here and there the sunlight struck 
through the leafy covering, and sent a long 
narrow beam athwart the ground, or flecked 
the low bushes with a few spots of golden 
light. As the captain preceded us through 
the opening which served as as ante-cham¬ 
ber to this saloon of the forest, he sudden¬ 
ly halted, and motioned to us to be cautious. 
Proceeding with a stealthy pace, in obedience 
to the motion of his hand, we came in view of 
three or four deer grazing at the extremity of 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


313 


the glade. At that moment, two of them had 
raised their heads, and were evidently in the 
act of chewing the mouthfuls of grass which 
they had last cropped. We all stood like 
statues, until the animals again lowered their 
heads, when we separated slightly, and cau¬ 
tiously advanced, taking great care to avoid 
treading upon branches that might crackle 
under foot. Slowly we drew nearer, each sfK'p 
well calculated, each gun well poised, so that 
if the deer took alarm, w'e could fire as they 
fled. 

At last, we came within about a hundred 
yards of them, and then our precautions re¬ 
doubled. The captain s rifle would have been 
effective at that distance; but George and I, 
inexperienced sportsmen, who could not rely 
upon a single bullet, had therefore been provided 
with fowling-pieces, which are not sure at a 
range exceeding fifty yards. The captain was 
to reserve his fire, and make use of it in case 
ours proved ineffectual. 

More slowly, and more slowly still, we ad¬ 
vanced, until I judged that we were within the 
prescribed distance. 

I heard the sharp click of George s lock, as 
he cocked his piece. With a sidelong glance 
at him, as he was in the act of levelling his 
gun, I slowly aimed mine at the foreshoulder 

27 


S14 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

of a stag wliicli had just raised his head from 
the spot on which lie was feeding, under the 
overhanging boughs of an enormous tree. But 
the moment that the sights of my gun 
showed clearly defined against his red hide, and 
I was about to pull trigger, I restrained my 
hand, for I saw a great animal pounce upon 
him from the tree. At this astounding sight, 
George also withheld his fire, and we both 
dropped the muzzles of our guns. 

A panther !” shouted the captain. Be 
steady, now, boys.” 

The deer stood, for a moment, in startled 
attitudes, and then plunged madly towards 
the thicket. They vanished like a flash. 
Meanwhile, a tremendous commotion was visible 
among the grass and low bushes in the place 
where the panther and stag had fallen to the 
ground together. 

Cock both barrels, boys,” said the captain. 

Here, George, give me your gun, and take 
my rifle. This is going to be close quarters, 
and may need a cool hand. Advance steadily, 
with your guns ready to fire at an instant’s 
notice. Keep cool!” 

We advanced steadily, but with rapidity, 
towards the place, and came in full view of the 
scene, which was rather different from our an¬ 
ticipation. Instead of the single panther and 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


315 


fitag which we expected to find, and found, 
just as we reached the place, another panther 
was in the act of emerging from the thicket.* 
As our heads appeared above the surrounding 
bushes, the male panther, or cougar, which had 
sprung upon the stag, and was then greedily- 
engaged with his muzzle buried in the animals 
flank, heard a signal of alarm from his ad¬ 
vancing mate, desisted from his work, glanced 
up, and, with a quick bound, diminished his 
distance from us by several yards, f 

Steady, boys," muttered the captain, and, 
levelling his gun, he fired. The panther reared 
and pawed the air, and George and I, taking 
advantage of the opportunity, fired at his chest 
and foreshoulders. He Tolled over and over, 
and tore up the ground and bushes in his death 
agony. 

The captain, seeing that there was no danger 
to be apprehended from one antagonist, glanced 
towards the other animal, which had been ad¬ 
vancing with ferocious aspect to the aid of her 

* It is common for the male and female panthers, when 
paired, and raising cubs in their lair, to hunt in couples. 

f The animal known in the United States as the panthei, 
vulgarly painter, has been incorrectly named, for the rea¬ 
son that it is a different animal, and does not at all resemble 
the real Panther, from which it derives its designation. It 
is the Felis Concolor, or Cougar, the same animal as th« 
Puma of South America. 


316 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

mate. Her agile form and snarling ja^^s had 
changed at the sight of her companions fate; 
and far from seeking to avenge it, she had 
turned tail, and was slinking away with a rapid 
lope, when the captain again fired, and her 
raised hind paw and limping gait showed that 
she had been lamed by the shot. Jack sprang 
after her, and I fired simultaneously. She in¬ 
stantly rolled over on her back, then arose; and 
as if my shot had given her increased vitality, 
instead of depriving her of it, she bounded for 
the thicket. Just as she neared the edge of it, 
she fell, rolled over once or twice; and then, as 
if endowed with renewed strength, rushed at 
the trunk of a large tree and climbed it rapidly. 
As one fore paw grasped the lowest limb of the 
tree, her hold suddenly relaxed, and she fell 
heavily to the ground. Thinking that she 
might rend Jack, in her expiring rage, we 
shouted to restrain him from approaching her. 
We were too late. The brave fellow rushed at 
her, and fastened his fangs in her neck. Then 
as suddenly loosing his hold, he uttered a joyful 
bark, and looked towards us as we came running 
up. ■ The panther was dead. 

We remained masters of the field, and stood 
leaning on our guns, and striving to regain 
our breath, exhausted by the excitement and the 
chase. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


317 


As we returned towards the place where 
the male panther lay, we boys kept np an 
animated discourse, recounting to each other 
what we had all seen. We found that the 
neck of the stag had been broken hy the 
force of the panther’s spring. Even without 
that, the animal would have had no chance to 
escape the clutches of its powerful enemy, for 
the wounds on the delicate hide exhibited fearful 
laceration effected by the panther’s claws. 

The panther was riddled with balls. The 
captain had fired between his eyes, and the load 
of buckshot had completely blinded the beast, 
and caused the rearing which enabled George 
and me to discharge our pieces at his chest. 

The captain drew his hunting-knife, and 
commenced to dismember the stag. He took 
one haunch of venison and laid it aside, and 
placed another in security, by tying it to the 
bough of a tree. After that, he went to work, 
with our assistance, and skinned the male 
panther. This was quite a long operation, and 
by the time that we finished, cleaned the skin, 
rolled it up in a bundle, with the hair outward, 
and provided a branch on which to carry the 
haunch of venison, the sun was getting quite 
low. 

Come, boys,” at last, said the captain, wiping 
his gory hands in the long grass; we must be 

27 * 


318 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

packing. We ve got a mileRnd alialf to Araik, 
and a long sail or row before us. To-naorrow 
we ’ll get the skin of the other panther.” 

George and I slung the haunch of venison 
on the middle of the branch which had been 
provided, and he shouldered one end of it, and 
I took the other. The captain carried the pan¬ 
ther’s skin, and we trudged off through the 
woods, in the direction of the boat. We felt 
pretty well fagged with our day’s exertion. 
Now and then, the captain took a turn at 
one end of the pole, and, in that way, we 
divided the labor among us; except that the 
captain continued to carry the skin, which, in 
its undressed state, was quite a heavy bundle. 

When we arrived at the boat, we found 
Brady, shouldering his rifle, and pacing the 
bank in a martial manner, while his countenance 
betrayed the greatest alarm. 

Be yees all safe,” said he, anxiously scanning 
the party. ^‘ Be the powers, but I thought yees 
was all murthered and scalped.” 

^^Pooh! Brady,” replied the captain; '^what 
is the matter with you ? I hope you did n’t 
get any thing to drink from the post ?” * 

^^Indade no!” answered Brady;—bad luck to 
the military regulations, that has no regard for 
the wakenesses of human nature. It’s sober I 
am; but I ve been a’most out of me mind with 


OR FRED RANSOM. 319 

thinking yees was kilt and massacred iniirely 
by the Ingins. Yees hadn’t more’n went, the 
mornin’, when I heerd a nize in the lushes, 
and rins on tap o’ the bank, and sees two 
Ingins, one of thim, the chafe, he calls himself, 
that stole me porruk, yer honor remimbers.” 

*^Aye, aye I” said the captain, ^‘what then?” 

I looks at thim, and they looks at me, and 
the porruk thafe comes up to me, and says: 

“ ‘ What you do here ?—more men in wood ?’ 
and I says to him, ‘ Mind yer business, or 
I’ll wallop the pair of yees;’ and wid that I 
gets me rifle and says to him, ‘ be aff wid yees, 
or I ’ll shoot yees widout benefit of clargy. I 
don’t like the looks of yees, says I, ^nor yer 
manners ayther,’ I says. And whin I said that, 
the spalpeen muttered some gibberage to the 
other one, and they goes off into the brambles,” 

I’m afraid you’ve been hasty, Brady,” 
said the captain. Once before I cautioned you 
to be civil to this very fellow.” 

^‘Well, yer honor, the captain, I tried to 
obey yer orthers, but the sight of thim var¬ 
mints snaking around when yer honor and ihe 
byes was away in the wuds, a’most took away 
me power of spache.” 

I’m thinking,” rejoined tne captain, " that 
your power of speech will be an endless trouble 


320 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

to you, Brady. It can ’t be helped now. Get 
aboard the boat; the sun has almost sot.” 

And whin I heerd the shots that was fired 
so quick,” resumed Brady, at the same time 
obeying the captain’s orders, I made sure that 
yees were all murthered, and yer scalps shaved 
off as clane as a whustle.” 

‘‘ I pardon your indiscretion, Brady,” replied 
the captain, in gratitude for the interest that 
you have shown for our safety. Pull away, my 
man, and as soon as we get out of the river, 
we ’ll loosen the sail, for I see that the breeze is 
fair.” So saying, the captain took the other 
pair of sculls, and rowed lustily. When we 
reached the mouth of the river, we set our 
sail, and, with a free wind, sped away over the 
bay, in the direction of the Keys. It was ten 
o’clock before we reached the Flying Cloudy 
and George and I had fallen asleep, several times, 
in the boat. When she came along-side of, 
the schooner, we awoke in so drowsy a state, 
that w«' had scarcely energy to clamber up the 
side, stumble into the cabin, and throw our¬ 
selves into our berths, so entirely were we over¬ 
come with the fatigue and exciting adventures 
of the day. 


OB FB£D KAHSOM 


B31 


XXX.'VZ. 

THE RETURN TO THE FOREST-THE SURPRISE 
BY INDIANS-THE CAPTURE OF '^EORGE-THE 
PURSUIT-THE RESCUE. 



HE captain’s complaisance, in mak- 
^ing and performing the promise 
to indulge George in a deer-hunt, 
entailed, as is often the case, a further 
sacrifice of inclination. The captain 
had passed the age at which such 
expeditions have the power to charm, 
and if he had any pleasure in them, it was princi* 
pally in contributing to that of his son. It must 
be granted, however, that the exciting character 
of the sport in which we had actually engaged, 
had so far exceeded his anticipation, that he did 
oeem to share our enthusiasm. The measure of 
our satisfaction was complete, except that the 
coming night had prevented our securing one 
trophy of the chase—the skin of the female 
panther. 

The captain, it will be recollected, had re¬ 
conciled us to leaving the forest, as the light 



THE YOUNG WRECHER, 


h^J!2 


was waning, by saying that, on the following 
day, we could procure the other skin,—a promise 
from which he was not likely to be released by 
our indifference. Thus it happened, as I hinted 
just now, that the captain, having been once 
gracious, was from being “ in for a penny, in for 
a pound.” 

In the morning, George and I were among 
the first who were astir on the schooner, and 
the captain had hardly opened his eyes, be¬ 
fore we brought him to a realizing sense of his 
indiscreet promise of the preceding day. With 
a hearty yawn, and a slight hesitation, he jumped 
out of his berth, saying, 

*^Well, boys, a promise is a promise. Be¬ 
sides, to please you, I would have seen the 
sport out. It will be something to talk over, 
and I know that you’d never cease to regret 
that skin. There will be one for each of you 
to show as the spoils of the chase.” 

The captain’s orders to Buggies were com¬ 
municated in a few words. Then, telling Brady, 
who seemed to think that he was to make one 
of the party, that his services were not re¬ 
quired, as the wind would probably remain in 
the same quarter, and it would be fair both 
ways, the captain ordered the dingy to be 
lowered. Hannibal stowed some provisions in 
the stern-locker of the dingy, and when George 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


323 


and I, accompanied by Jack, got into her, after 
handing our arms and ammunition to the cap¬ 
tain, who had taken his place, Hannibal passed 
aboard a biggin full of steaming coffee. The 
boat’s painter was cast off, and with sheet un- 
brailed, we skimmed away towards the main¬ 
land, wnile the schooner, which had been lying 
with sails set and anchor apeak, got under way 
and stood towards the southward. 

Day had not quite dawned. The breeze was 
of that faint and fitful character, which fre¬ 
quently heralds the coming sun; and, with it, 
freshens, until the ruffled water sparkles in the 
renewing light of day. Thorough wreckers as 
we were, as soon as our little sail was well set, 
and the articles in the boat stowed away in the 
most convenient places, we addressed ourselves 
to the hot coffee. Then, without the usual in¬ 
termission to which we were subjected aboard 
of the schooner, we partook of breakfast, con¬ 
sisting of the cold viands which Hannibal had 
deposited in the locker. 

We soon passed the slender line of Keys, and 
the breeze freshening as the sun showed iria 
red disc above the horizon, we began to glide 
rapidly through the water. 

“ I did not bring Brady with me,” observed 
the captain, after we had got clear of the vessel, 
'^because, after previous experience, especially 


324 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


yesterday’s, I don’t judge it safe to have him 
with us, when there is any possibility of meeting 
Indians. I don’t positively think there is danger 
from them, or else I would consider myself ab¬ 
solved from the promise I made to you boys; 
but the Spanish Indians are becoming restive, 
and any provocation might result in some act 
of revenge. My feeling of security, among 
those inhabiting these parts, comes from an 
acquaintance of years with some of their lead¬ 
ing men. I have always been cautious in my 
dealings with them. But a quick-tempered 
fellow, like Brady, might mar every thing. I’m 
very sorry that I took him yesterday. To be 
on the safe side, I brought no one to-day.” 

During the sail to the mouth of the Miami, 
the captain entertained us with some anecdotes 
relating to the war with the Seminoles, in which 
some of his friends had at various times par¬ 
ticipated. His accounts of the atrocities com¬ 
mitted by the Indians, unlike those of some 
novelists, did not afford an agreeable picture 
of the character of the “noble children of the 
forest.” The captain was in the midst of one 
of these narratives, when we entered the mouth 
of the Miami. On the left bank, the stars and 
stripes floated over the quarters at the little 
military post. At the sight, I experienced tlie 
emotion that thrills the breast, whenever, in a 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


325 


foreign land, or in one s own, in some seqiiesteied 
spot, the banner of one’s country displays its 
folds, shedding a mystic influence on the soul. 

The captain’s story continued as we progressed 
np the river. We soon took in sail, and re¬ 
sorted to rowing; for the river was so com¬ 
pletely shut in by trees, as to render the breeze 
uncertain. Besides, in some of the reaches, we 
could not lay our course. We had proceeded 
about a mile up the river, when the captain ab¬ 
ruptly ceased his recital, and commenced scru¬ 
tinizing the bushes on the right bank, near 
to which we were rowing. 

Ease your port oars, boys,” said he;—more 
yet. Pull the boat’s head into shore.” 

Obeying his directions, we pulled the bow of 
the boat in towards the bushes, backed water, 
and then held water, so as to keep her in the 
same position. 

** I thought so,” said the captain, looking into 
the bushes;—“it is an Indian canoe.” 

George and I stood up to look at it, and then, 
by the captain’s order, backed water, pulled the 
boat around, and continued on our course. 

We asked the captain to continue his story; 
but he declined, saying that he would finish it 
at another opportunity. He seemed plunged in 
a musing mood. When we had gone about a 
».nile and a half up the stream, he told us to pull 
28 


/ 


326 


THE YOUNG WEECHETt, 


the boat in towards shore, and land, as he 
judged that we must be about opposite to the 
[tlace where we had shot the panthers. We 
were much further down the stream than the 
place from which we had started on the hunt; 
I'ut our course, after striking into the forest, 
had been nearly parallel with the stream. We 
had returned by the same way, and the place at 
which we had had the adventure, was at no 
great distance from the river. 

The captain sprang out of the boat, with one 
of the fowling-pieces, and told George to ac¬ 
company him. I expected to go, and was there¬ 
fore surprised when the captain added, you 
Fred, stay with the boat.” Then after a pause, 
he resumed : “ I ’ll be frank with you. I do n’t 
know^ why,—it’s very ridiculous, perhaps;—but I 
fec‘l what is called a presentiment. Pshaw! 
Mind the boat, Fred;—keep a sharp lookout.” 

And then quickly turning on his heel, 
as if ashamed of his extreme caution, he 
walked rapidly away, accompanied by George, 
who relieved him of his fowling-piece. Jack 
followed them, frisking around through the 
undergrowth, crushing it with his burly strength, 
and uttering short barks, indicative of delight. 

They had scarcely gone, when the sense of 
loneliness, and the captain’s last words induced 
me to pick up the rifle, and examine it, to try 


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OR FRED RANSOM. 


327 


wliutlier it was loaded and capped. I found 
that it was ready for use; and after raising the 
hammer once or twice, and letting it down on 
t!.e cap, so as to press the cap firmly on the 
nipple, I amused myself by sighting the piece 
at v:i,rious objects on the opposite shore of the 
stream, and in the woods on the bank to which 
the boat was fastened. 

Ten minutes elapsed, when I heard the quick 
barking of a dog, followed by the report of a 
distant rifle. Then silence for a short interval 
ensued, and from the distance came borne to 
my ear, a long and dismal howl. I was stand¬ 
ing in the stern-sheets of the boat, still grasping 
the rifle with which I had been firing imaginary 
shots. As I heard these sounds, my hands 
clutched the rifle with a nervous grip; my 
blood curdled; my hair seemed to stand on 
end; and my ears strained to catch another 
sound. At that moment I heard a crackling 
and crushing noise in the bushes, then a rush, 
and before . me, on top of the bank, stood a 
stalwart Indian, brandishing his tomahawk. 
With a whoop, he dashed down the bank, A 
moment lost, and his tomahawk would have 
been buried in my brain. With a coolness 
born of desperation, I raised my rifle, and sent 
its bullet straight into his breast. With one 


328 THE rOUNG WRECKER, 

low moan, and without a strugg/e, he fell dead 
at the bottom of the bank. 

I dropped the butt of my rifle, and leaned on 
it for support. The moment of action over, the 
terror of the situation, the unspeakable horroi 
that hung over the fate of my companions, un¬ 
nerved me. With a little respite, I regained 
my self-possession. Reflecting that I might 
have more assailants than one, and that the 
most exposed place which I could occupy was 
the boat, I seized the fowling-piece, rifle, and 
ammunition, and clambering up the bank, took 
shelter behind a tree, and commenced to reload 
the rifle. If, thought I, the captain or George, 
or both, escape, I will have the boat ready. If 
they have been massacred, and the Indians 
approach, I can see them coming. I can jump 
into the boat, row across the stream, take refuge 
in the woods, and try to make my way to the 
post at the mouth. My hope of the safety of 
the captain and George was indeed faint, when 
I recollected that the report I had heard was 
that of a rifle, and the captain had taken one of 
the fowling-pieces. 

I had scarcely had time to think and do what 
I have just described, when I heard a sound, 
and looking through the trees, I saw a flitting 
appearance, such as a man at a distance pre¬ 
sents, as he runs through the uncertain light 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


329 


amidst the trunks of trees in a dense forest. 
My gaze concentrated on the shifting object. 
Instantaneous resolve and execution must follow 
the discovery of whether the approaching form 
was friend on foe. All at once, a little opening 
in the trees emitted a white flash, and I knew 
that the captain had escaped. Before leaving 
the boat, he had disencumbered himself of his 
coat, and I knew that no Indian wore any gar¬ 
ment so white as a shirt. A minute later, the 
captain broke his way through the bushes, and 
stood at my side. Ilis face was deathly pale, 
scratched and bloody, and his clothes were 
nearly torn from his body, in his desperate 
progress through the bushes. 

Not a word !” said he to me, glancing at 
the dead Indian, picking up the guns, and 
hurrying into the boat, which we -shoved ofl 
and commenced to pull down stream. Listen, 
and be cool. I see you can be by what you 
have done. George is captured. He was in 
advance, carrying my gun. Two Indians leaped 
out of the bushes, seized, and bound him. Pull 
Fred! For God s sake, pull! 0 my son, my 

son! Listen again. There is work to be done. 
They seized him, I say. I was unarmed, and a 
hundred yards distant. I could do nothing. 
Jack rushed to his rescue. I saw the knife of 
one Indian flash, as he plunged it into the faith- 


28 * 


330 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


ful beast. The other Indian fired at me as 1 
escaped in this direction. You know the rest. 
We are armed. You are a boy, but equal to a 
man’s part. The canoe in the bushes must 
belong to the Indians. They started in that 
direction. 

“Captain,” said I resolutely, “you can de¬ 
pend on me.” 

“ I believe you,” muttered the captain through 
his clenched teeth. “ When the time comes, be 
prompt, for every thing depends on that.” • 

We entered a reach in the river, above the 
place-where we had seen the concealed canoe. 
The captain backed water with his oars, un¬ 
shipped them, and made me a sign to do the 
same with mine. He then unshipped the rud¬ 
der, and taking one of the oars, commenced to 
scull the boat noiselessly along the very edge of 
the trees that overhung the bank. The ex¬ 
pression of the captain s face was frightful. It 
was as rigid as if hewn in marble, and well-nigh 
as white; and his gaze had an intensity that 
was terrible to behold. Such a blended ex¬ 
pression of woe and dread and fierce determina¬ 
tion, it would seem impossible for the human 
countenance to express. 

At last, after we had rowed some distance, a 
penetrating whisper came from his lips. 

** This is the place,” said he. “ One hope re- 


OE FRED RANSOM. 


331 


mains. We have distanced them. If we ap¬ 
proach nearer to the canoe, we shall be discovered, 
and they will take to the woods.” 

He sculled the boat in towards shore, on the 
up-river side of a projecting tree, whose lowest 
branches, almost dipping into the water, afibrded 
concealment. 

iigain the thrilling whisper pierced my ear; 
(every thing now seemed like a horrid dream.) 

“Fred,” said the whisper, “they cannot be 
far off. Ship a pair of sculls. They will shove 
the canoe into the stream. The rifle;—is it 
carefully loaded?—the ball rammed home? 

“ I am sure of it,” I replied. 

“ The rifle, again whispered the captain, is the 
gun. Buckshot scatters, and might kill George. 
The moment they are clear of the bank, I shall 
fire. No matter what happens, pull out into the 
stream, and give chase. I will take the other 
pair of sculls. But until I fire, lie still in the 
bottom of the boat. George’s life may hang on 
the movement of your hand. God grant steadi¬ 
ness to mine!” 

After this neither of us spoke. I placed a 
pair of sculls gently in the rowlocks, glanced 
around, and coiled myself up in the bottom of 
the boat. I restrained even the heaving of my 
chest, so that when the critical moment arrived, 

I might communicate no more motion to the 


332 THE YOUNG WKECKER, 

boat, than if I had been a corpse. The suspense 
became dreadful. I strained to catch a sound. 
The ticking of my watch was distinctly audible, 
and I commenced to count the minutes. Three, 
four, five, passed. Six, seven—I thought I 
heard a faint, distant sound, like muffled voices. 
It must be, I thought. Again, but muffled still, 
I heard something like the accents of the human 
voice. A distant splash. The captain moved. 
A report! 

'' Up Fred,” I heard him cry. 

But I was up and in my seat and straining 
at the oars. The captain seized his, and pulled 
furiously. The water boiled around the bow of 
the little skifi*. 

I looked over my shoulder, and a glance 
showed the situation. The captain’s shot had 
taken effect. The body of one of the Indians 
hung lifelessly over the side of the canoe, put¬ 
ting it entirely out of trim. The other Indian 
was attempting to right the canoe, by shifting 
the body of his companion. George, apparently 
pinioned, was seated about amidships. 

I again glanced over my shoulder. The In¬ 
dian had not succeeded in budging his companion 
from the position into which he had fallen, and 
had relinquished the attempt. He was paddling 
with all his might. 

Another glance showed me that we were gain- 


OK FEED KANSOM. 


333 


mg rapidly on the canoe. The effort of the In¬ 
dian to make speed was entirely frustrated hy 
the canoe’s position in the water, and he dared 
not stop paddling, lest we should lessen our dis¬ 
tance from him. 

When I looked again, I saw the canoe heading 
towards shore. 

Give way,” shouted the captain, who had 
observed the same thing; “he may land and drag 
the boy off into the woods.” 

The elastic oars bent as we plied them with 
all the strength with which we were endowed. 
A single misstroke, and all might have been 
lost. The canoe came within ten yards of shore. 
Its bow touched the bank. The Indian leaped 
from it, and pulled it towards him, as if he was 
about to take hold of George, and lift him out 
of it. At that moment, the captain, dropping 
his oars, seized a fowling-piece, and levelled it 
at the Indian, who hesitated, then turning, 
sprang up the bank and fled. The captain who, 
for fear of wounding George, had not intended 
to fire, except as a forlorn hope, discharged his 
gun at the Indian, as his form was disappearing 
amongst the bushes. 

In a few moments, we were along-side of the 
canoe. I jumped out, gun in hand, and ran up 
the bank, to guard against a surprise; while the 
captain cut the thongs by which George’s wrists 


334 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


had been so tightly bound that they were lace 
rated. I soon discovered, by the marks in the 
bushes, that the Indian had made good his 
escape. The one left in the canoe was mortally 
wounded, and almost expiring. 

On scanning him closely, I recognized him as 
the Indian who had represented himseT to be 
a chief, and with whom Brady had had the diffi¬ 
culty on the Key on which some of the goods 
from the wreck had been landed. 

When I descended from the bank, and ascer¬ 
tained this, I mentioned it to the captain. He 
scarcely seemed to hear what I said. After re¬ 
leasing George, whom he tenderly embraced, he 
had fervently lifted up his eyes, and then seating 
himself in the boat, he had buried his face in his 
hands, and remained in that posture. 

At length, he raised his head, and said to us: 

I was overcome. I hope that I am duly grate¬ 
ful for the favor which has been vouchsafed to 
me. George come here, and let me kiss you 
again, my child." 

‘‘ There is much to be done yet," resumed the 
captain, suddenly starting to his feet. “The 
commandant of the post must be notified. And 
boys, let us not forget our faithful friend, even 
if he is a dog." 


OK FRED RANSOM, 


336 


CHI^IPTEE. 2^X!XVTI. 

THE CAPT AIN GIVES THE ALARM-THE COMMAND¬ 
ANT’S SUSPICIONS-HIS REQUEST TO THE CAP- 
TAIN-THE INDIAN’S CONFESSIO N-J A C K ’ S 
DEATH AND BURIAL. 



HE captain arose, and approaching 
the canoe, and bending low over the 
Indian, listened to ascertain whether 


he still breathed. Satisfied of the fact, 
he felt the Indian’s pulse, and then 
raising the almost lifeless body, placed 
it in an easy position. Unbending our 
painter, he fastened one end to the bow of the 
cano3, and the other to the stern of the dingy. 
Then telling us to get aboard of our boat, he and 
I put out the sculls, while George took the tiller. 
The captain told George to steer for the post at 
the mouth of the river, and we started with the 
canoe in tow. George was extremely quiet. He 
had passed through a scene of wild excitement 
The roughness of his savage captors, the alter¬ 
nations of hope and fear, the sudden joy of dtv 


336 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

liverance, had followed with transition so rapid, 
that they had left him subdued and speechless. 

We soon reached the post, and the captain 
briefly explained to the commandant all that 
had happened. 

The commandant, after glancing at the wounded 
Indian, said to the captain: 

“ I need not tell you. Captain Bowers, that 
trouble is brewing. This Indian’s dress, paint, 
and weapons, indicate that he was on the war¬ 
path.” 

I knew it, when I saw the Indian who was 
shot by this boy,” replied Captain Bowers, in¬ 
dicating me with a gesture. , 

“ This preparation is not for the attack of the 
post,” said the commandant, ‘^but for that ol 
some unprotected settlement, probably Indian 
Key. These Indians were probably on their 
way to join their comrades. There will be 
no danger in acceding to your request. I will 
send a squad of men with you, and when you 
have recovered your noble dog, you must in¬ 
stantly return to your vessel. You have a duty 
to perform. You must immediately get under 
way, sail for Indian Key, and warn the settle¬ 
ment of its danger.” 

The captain assented without a moment’s 
hesitation. The Indian was removed to the 
quarters of the soldiers. We left our boat, and 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


337 


getting into the boat belonging to the post, a 
squad of four soldiers escorted us up the river. 
George was left at the post to await our return. 

We landed at the same point from which the 
captain and George had started, and two soldiers 
staid near the boat, to guard it, and bury the 
dead Indian. The other two set out with us 
towards the place where the Indians had lain in 
ambush. 

The mystery of their presence in that place 
was very easily solved. The previous day, they 
must have come across the dead panthers, and 
concluded that we would return to the place to 
procure the skin of the female one. They there 
awaited our coming, after having detached one 
of the party to capture the boat and cut off our 
retreat. 

We proceeded cautiously through the woods, 
for fear that we might be waylaid by some 
lurking Indian, and our advance was neces¬ 
sarily slow. In a quarter of an hour, we ar¬ 
rived at the place. There, in a pool of his 
own blood, lay poor Jack. The ca} tahi gently 
pressed his hand on the region of the animals 
heart, and felt a slight fluttering pulsation. 
The soldiers, with the aid of their knives, cut 
some boughs, and constructed a litter, on which 
Jack was carefully deposited, and borne along to¬ 
wards the river. When we reached the shore, 


338 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

the captain took off his coat, placed it in the 
bottom of the boat, and Jack was laid upon 
it. The captain then proceeded to staunch 
the blood, which was still ebbing from Jack's 
wound. 

By the time that he had accomplished this, and 
adjusted a bandage made of our handkerchiefs 
knotted together, the corpse of the Indian had 
been buried in a shallow grave. We then 
started down the river, and again landed at 
the post. 

The commandant was on the shore, awaiting 
our arrival, and at once said to the captain: 

“ It is as I thought. The Indian died a few 
minutes ago; but, before expiring, he answered 
a question of mine. Indian Key is on the ewe 
of being attacked. You must hasten to get 
your vessel under way.” 

We immediately transferred Jack to our own 
boat, and bidding the commandant farewell, set 
sail across Key Biscayne Bay. 

As soon as the boat was fairly under way, the 
captain renewed his attentions to Jack, who 
showed increasing signs of life. At last, he 
opened his eyes, moaned slightly, and then 
raising his head, licked the captain’s hand. 
After awhile, he was seized with frequent and 
intense twitching of the limbs, and moaned 
more frequenviy, as if suffering acute pain. Oh, 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


339 


how George and I watched him and cried 
over him ! for we loved the dog. The cap- 
lain, with one hand on the tiller, reached ou^ 
the other, and constantly patted the head of 
his faithful friend. Once more, Jack raised 
his head, licked the captain’s hand, and turned 
his head to lick George s and mine, as we placed 
them near his mouth, to gratify the affectionate 
yearning of his nature. He closed his eyes, as 
if satisfied, and then quivered all over. His 
limbs twitched and struck out spasmodically, 
and he uttered a sharp bark, ending with a 
howl. He became rigid; his eyes opened and 
glazed; his lower jaw dropped; and his tongue 
protruded. 

''Boys,” said the captain, mildly, "he is 
dead.” ^ 

I look back through the vista of many years, 
and see in that stiffening form, what men 
call a dog, but I, one of the dearest friends 
I ever had! 

We landed on the first large Key that we 
reached, and lifting Jack out of the boat, laid 
him on the shore. The captain dispatched me 
to the vessel to fetch two of the crew with 
spades. As I set sail, I saw him and George 
lift the body of Jack, and carry it towards the 
high ground on the Key. Before an hour had 


340 TL t YOUNG WRECKER, 

passed, I had returned with the men and tha 
implements for which the captain had sent me. 

In a densely wooded spot, far removed from 
the beach^ we dug a little grave. The captain 
folded his coat more closely around the dog, and 
buttoned it over his chest. We laid him care¬ 
fully in the grave, and took one look at him. 
The captain made a mark on a neighboring tree, 
and we turned sadly away, and walked towards 
the beach. 

When we reached the boat, the captain, turn¬ 
ing to us boys, who could not restrain our tears, 
said: 

“ He was worthy of our love, proving his by 
yielding up his life in our defence.” 

We were soon under way, bound for Indian 

Key. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 




OHI^IPTEK. ZXXX-VZIZ. 

THE FLYING CLOUD SAILS FOR INDIAN KEY- 
THE MESSAGE FROM CAPTAIN BOWERS TCJ 
DR. CLUZEL-NO ATTACK EXPECTED THAT 
NIGHT-THE SURPRISE-THE MASSACRE-THE 
MURDER OF THE DOCTOR-THE ESCAPE OF 
HIS FAMILY AND OF FRED RANSOM. 


T was three o’clock in the after¬ 
noon. The schooner had a fair, 
moderate breeze. The captain 
every rag of canvas on her, and 
glided slowly along the line of 
y^s. Our mission was fraught 
h life and death. Would we be 
in time to give warning? Why not? The 
Indians, if they purposed an attack, would make 
it at night; and as we passed a wrecker, to¬ 
wards the southward, she made no signal, as 
she would assuredly have done, had she pos¬ 
sessed any tidings. But then, on the other 
hand, the attack might have taken place during 
the preceding night, and the wrecker might not 
have sighted any vessel towards the southward. 



342 THE YOUNG WREORER, 

True, tlie attack might have been made during 
the preceding night. I felt as if ^he fickle 
wind and sluggish waves clogged the aails and 
once swift keel. 

The captain, standing near the helm, had 
apparently been pursuing the same train of 
thought, for he turned towards me, and said: 

“ The Indians may have attacked the Key 
last night. If not, we shall be in time, even 
with this breeze, for they will not attack before 
the dead of night. I knew that, or I would not 
have spent even an hour in burying Jack.” 

“ Oh, captain !” exclaimed I, “ I am so glad 
to hear you say that! I feared that we should 
be too late.” 

So we may be,” replied the captain; but 
not if the attack has n’t already taken place. 
Go down into the cabin, and sit with George. 
Perhaps you had better try to take some rest, 
to recover after the fatigue of the day. You 
may be needed in a few hours. George is too 
much overcome to be of any use in an emer¬ 
gency. I shall be obliged to depend upon you 
alone. 

I found George as I had left him. He lay 
in his berth, with his eyes open; perfectly calm, 
but unable to compose himself to sleep. I sat 
down beside him, took his hand, and. talked to 
him. Being thus diverted from the thoughts 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


S43 


whicli had engrossed him, the fatigue which ho 
had undergone, exercised uncontrolled influence, 
and he soon fell fast asleep. Then I slipped off 
my coat, and threw myself into my own berth, 
knowing that the next few hours might tax my 
utmost energies, and determined to brace my 
nerves by the refreshment of slumber. Blessed, 
indeed, as Sancho Panza says, be the man who 
invented sleep! 

When I awmkened, I was in darkness, and I 
felt a cool breeze rushing through the cabin. I 
called to George, in a low voice, but receiving 
no answer, got out of my berth, put on my coat, 
and ran up the companion-way. 

The captain was seated .near the helm. Ap¬ 
parently, he had nob relinquished his post. 
The breeze had increased. It was quite fresh, 
and the schooner was scudding along, with her 
sails bellied out, and lee-scuppers almost under 
water. 

I hope that you have had a good rest," 
observed the captain. ^‘It is ten o’clock. We 
shall reach the Key in an hour’s time. I’ll 
leave you in charge of the deck. Call me the 
moment we come in sight of the Key.’’ 

The captain left me, and, a few minutes 
afterwards, on putting my head down the com¬ 
panion-way, I knew, by the loud snoring, that 
he had not been long in obtaining the slumber 


344 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


which the seafaring man, tutored by experience 
of surprises, dangers, and fatigues, seldom woos 
in vain. 

In a little over an hour, a distant light ap¬ 
prised me that we were approaching our desti¬ 
nation. After confirming myself in this opinion, 
by appealing to the helmsman, I awoke the 
captain. He instantly came on deck. We 
were soon abreast of Indian Key. 

We are in time, Fred,” said the captain, as 
the schooner rounded to and let go her anchor. 

Ashore, all appears too orderly for any thing 
to have happened. There is no noise, and the 
lights in the windows of the houses near the 
water show as usual. I have got some service 
for you to perform. My duty keeps me here. 
Take a man or two, and row ashore. Go to 
Doctor Cluzel’s house, and give him the intelli¬ 
gence. In case he should consider the schoonei 
a safer refuge than his house, let him come off 
with his family.” 

“Certainly, sir,” I replied; “but I don’t nee^ 
any one. I can pull ashore without any help, 
and, as the boat is small, and the doctor ma) 
accept your offer, I had better dispense with 
even one of the crew. There is a pretty stiff 
breeze rising, but I can manage the boat.” 

The dingy was lowered, I jumped into her, 
put out my sculls, and rowed for the Key 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


345 


On landing, I ran hastily to the doctor’s house, 
and up the steps leading to the piazza, and 
pounded at the front-door for some minutes 
before I could make myself heard. At length, 
the doctor put his head out of the window, and 
asked who was there. I announced my name, 
and said, in a low tone, that I had something 
of importance to communicate. The doctor 
withdrew his head, and soon opened the front¬ 
door. 

In a very few words, I told him the news, 
and gave him the captain’s invitation. The 
doctor looked grave, but after a short silence, 
said: 

I must confess, that the suspicions of the 
commandant of the post, and of Captain Bowers, 
are not unwarranted. Of course, I don’t doubt, 
after what you have told me, that the Indians 
contemplate some outrage; but I do doubt that 
they intend to attack this settlement. No signs 
of them have been seen about here. It is many 
miles from this place to the main-land. The 
residents here, being wreckers and fishermen, 
are daily in the habit of visiting the neighboring 
Keys; and if any Indians had been lurking 
there, they would have been discovered. At 
any rate, no attack will be made to-night. 
Look over the water in this direction, and in 




846 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


that. Every thing is as silent as the grave 
Hold ! let us go into the cupola. Thence we 
can command a view in every direction." 

Saying this, the doctor left the piazza, on 
which we had been standing, and led the 

way into the house, and upstairs to the 

cupola. 

Nothing could be more peaceful than the 

scene which presented itself from the cupola. 
The waters surrounding us lay calmly shimmer¬ 
ing in the light of the setting moon. The shores 
of the adjacent Keys showed quite distinctly, 
and the only sounds that we heard were those of 
the gentle waves splashing against the piles of the 
neighboring jetty, and the sighing of the in¬ 
creasing breeze, as it struck the crannies in 
the roof, and the open casement of the 

cupola. 

It is past twelve o’clock," said the doctor, 
examining his watch. “ Surely, if danger is 
brewing, it will not overtake us to-night. I 
like to act with caution; at the same time, I 
wish to avoid giving a needless alarm to the 
settlement. I cannot think that there is danger 
to-night; and, by daylight, the people will be 
less alarmed at the news. However, I will 
be on the safe side, and communicate it to 
the two most reliable men here, obtain 


OB FEED EANSOM. 347 

tlieir opinion, and let them use their own judg¬ 
ment 

We descended the stairs, and Doctor Cluzel, 
after donning his coat, left me standing on the 
lower piazza, while he went on the errand which 
he had mentioned. After an absence of half an 
hour, he returned, and stated that he had seen 
both of the persons to whom he had alluded. 
They agreed with him in thinking that the late¬ 
ness of the hour indicated, that if an attack 
had been in contemplation, it would be post¬ 
poned until another night. The doctor and 
they had concluded to divulge the' news on the 
following morning, and preparations could then 
be made for repelling an attempt upon the set¬ 
tlement. 

It is within five minutes of one o’clock,'^ 
said the doctor, again consulting his watch. 
“Every thing is perfectly quiet, and likely, 
in my opinion, to continue so. You must not 
think of returning to the vessel. Your late 
fatigue must have nearly exhausted you. Come 
into the sitting-room. I have a shake-down 
there, always ready for the use of a friend.” 

I was worn out, and seeing no reason which 
should urge a return to the vessel, I gladly 

* The warning received by the settlement, as introduced 
jn the story, is historically untrue. The attack by the 
Indians was a surprise. 


348 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


accepted the doctor s offer. He soon left me, 
and retired to his own chamber, continuing 
carefully to guard against making any noise 
which might disturb the family, and, by the 
unwonted circumstance, arouse their appre¬ 
hensions. 

When I was left alone, I partially undressed, 
and threw myself on the couch. For a long 
time, I lay with my eyes fixed, with an ab¬ 
stracted gaze, on the face of an old clock which 
stood in the corner of the room. The scenes 
of the last few hours vividly presented them¬ 
selves to my imagination. But the curtain of 
sleep fell not before my hot and weary eyes, and 
the drama closed with my present situation, 
only to be again repeated. How long I had 
lain thus absorbed, I knew not, until my gaze, 
which had rested on the face of the clock, 
without my being conscious of the object upon 
which it centred, resuming its function, showed 
me the hands indicating two o’clock in the 
morning. I sprang up, and was in the act of 
divesting myself of my remaining clothes, when 
a horrid yell smote my ears. Almost simulta¬ 
neously, came a volley of bullets, and the sound 
of crashing glass showed me that the musketry 
had been levelled at the upper windows of the 
house. 

At that yell, heard by me for the second time. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


349 


but now vociferated by many discordant voices, 
I needed not the accompanying discharge of 
bullets to tell me that the Indians were upon us. 

Fatal error, reflected I, that lapped us in 
fancied security! But there was no time for 
reflection. I seized my lamp, and hurried with 
it to the corner of the room, where I set it down, 
and screened it with a chair and a cloth hastily 
snatched from a table. 

Voices and footsteps sounded upstairs. I had 
hardly time to clothe myself decently, when 
the doctor, Mrs. Cluzel, and their three children, 
poured into the room. 

The doctor was cool and collected; but Mrs. 
Cluzel was speechless with alarm, and her son 
James, in maddened terror, clung to her night¬ 
dress. The doctor hurried us all to a trap-door 
leading to the cellar, already described as being 
used for a bathing-room. The doctor raised the 
trap-door, but Mrs. Cluzel hesitated to descend. 
Her daughters threw their arms about her, and 
besought her to seek refuge there. But the 
thought of leaving the doctor seemed to be more 
than she could bear. In the midst of this dis¬ 
tressing scene, came the crashing blows of axes, 
as the Indians commenced to force their way 
into the opposite dwelling. At the sound, Mrs. 
Cluzel's agony of terror so prevailed, that she 
hurried with us all into the dark opening, down 


30 


350 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


tlie narrow stairvS, and into the water of the 
bathing-room. As we descended, the doctor 
ran hastily towards the interior of the house. 
We passed through the bathing-room, and made 
our way to an oblong place which communicated 
with it. This place was separated from the 
wharf by posts driven into the marl. We had 
hardly concealed ourselves there, when we dis¬ 
tinctly heard the doctor s voice speaking to the 
Indians from the upper piazza. He addressed 
them in Spanish, telling them that he was a 
physician. When he said that, they gave a 
shout, and, from the sound of their voices, we 
judged that they were retiring, having resolved 
on abstaining from further molestation of the 
house. As the murmur of voices gradually be¬ 
came more and more vague, as the Indians re¬ 
tired, we heard the doctor’s footsteps near the 
trap-door, which we had left open in our hasty 
descent. 

We are safe,” whispered he, putting his head 
through the trap-door. ‘‘ The Indians have gone. 
I told them that I was a medicine-man, and 
they respect that title. Eemain where you are 
for a while longer.” 

Saying this. Doctor Cluzel closed the trap¬ 
door, and, judging by the sound, I think that he 
must have dragged over it a heavy chest which 
I had observed in the room. 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


351 


Who can depict, save one who has been a wit¬ 
ness of such a scene, the slow torture of the 
minutes and hours that ensued ! With clothes 
saturated with water, and bedraggled with mud; 
worn out with suspense; half-crazed with horror; 
what must have been the feelings of that poor 
mother, with her children clinging around her? 
From a distance, now and then came the noise 
of resounding blows, as the Indians broke into 
house after house, dismantling it, and heighten¬ 
ing their demoniac instincts by swilling the 
,spirituous liquors which they found upon the 
premises. Sometimes, the crashing sound of 
axes, and the murmur of voices seemed to be 
approaching, and we felt sure that the savages, 
maddened with drink, were returning, to imbrue 
in our blood, hands reeking with tliat of many 
already ruthlessly slaughtered. The hoarse, 
drunken shouts, came borne in litful blasts from 
a distance, or startled us by their proximity, as 
they were bellowed by a swiftly passing throng 
of infuriate wretches. And utter darkness shut 
in our retreat, and what we could not hear, the 
imagination divined with a vividness that reality 
could scarcely exceed. 

I could not ascertain the time of night, or 
rather morning, for my watch, being immersed 
in the water, had stopped. Otherwise, I might 
have discovered the time by feeling the hands. 


352 THE YOUNG WEECKEK, 

After hours, seemingly years, of weary watch¬ 
ing, we thought that we perceived, through the 
chinks between the piles, the gray light of morn¬ 
ing stealing through the air. We cautiously 
whispered the news'to each other, and, for the 
first time, hope seemed to revive in every breast. 

Scarcely had this feeling commenced to re¬ 
sume its sway, when our hearts sank within us, 
for again, and close to the house, we heard the 
yell of the Indians. Then came a terrific bat¬ 
tering at the front-door, and at that renewed 
sound, I gave up all for lost. Scarcely a minute 
had elapsed, when by the noise of hurrying feet 
above, we knew that the Indians had forced an 
entrance. The sound of footsteps rushing up 
the stairs, showed that the Indians were search¬ 
ing for the family. Again, the battering on a 
distant door apprised us that the doctor had 
retreated to the cupola—the place to which he had 
taken me but a few hours before, to show me the 
peaceful scene that lay spread out for miles be¬ 
yond! Foiled in their first attempt to enter the 
cupola, the yells of the savages became frightful, 
and the inmost recesses of our retreat seemed to 
vibrate with the horrid clamor. Then came a 
crash of planks, and one general yell, louder 
than nil the rest, revealed the fearful truth. The 
Indians had broken down the door. A few wild 
yells and trampling sounds ensued, and the noise 



OR FRED RANSOM. 


353 


of numerous and rapidly approaching footsteps 
rumbled down the staircase. It was clear. Tlte 
doctor had been murdered in cold blood. I 
heard a groan at my side, and a lifeless form fell 
on my breast. I encircled it in my arms, and 
kept it from dropping into the water. Mrs. 
Cluzel’s long agony had overcome her, and she 
had fainted. I cautiously whispered the fact to 
the girls, who approached and aided me in sup¬ 
porting their mother above the surface of the 
water. We threw some of the fluid in her face, 
chafed her hands and wrists, and in a few min¬ 
utes she was sufficiently restored to consciousness 
to enable her to raise her head. Then, the 
horror of our situation seemed so suddenly to 
burst upon her, that, judging by the convulsive 
rising of her shoulders and inflation of her 
chest, that she was about to give vent to a 
scream, I clapped my hand over her mouth, 
saying, ‘‘for Heaven’s sake, madam! We are 
lost, if you raise your voice.” 

“It was involuntary,” replied she, with a 
groan. “I bore accumulating horrors, but the 
memory of all, in one second, distracted me. 
The doctor—” 

I thought that she was about to faint again, 
but the girls supported her, pleading with her 
to be calm. And then came a scene !—what a 
strange mourning scene! The mother, daugh- 


354 THE YOUNG WRECKER, 

ters, and son, interlaced in each other’s arms, 
shivering and benumbed, mourned and wept 
together, for they knew that above lay the body 
of the husband and father. 

They seemed to be stupefied by the danger 
and grief that encompassed them. I was, as I 
should have been, the one who best preserved 
his senses. The last blow had overwhelmed 
them so completely, that the mere instinct of 
self-preservation, alone seemed to control them. 
The noises above now appeared to fall all un¬ 
heeded on their ears. The sound of heavy 
objects, dragged along the floor, indicated that 
the pillage of the house had begun; and I knew 
by the frequent crashing of glass, that the 
Indians were engaged in wantonly destroying 
what they could not carry away. Hope that 
they would speedily depart, then took possession 
of me; for I said to myself, “after they have 
pillaged or destroyed all the valuables upon 
which they can lay their hands, what can detain 
them ? They have gratified their love of drink, 
with bestial intoxication, and glutted their thirst 
for blood, by the murder of many besides the 
doctor.” 

Discovery, at times, seemed imminent; for 
some of the Indians were immediately overhead, 
and once an Indian lifted the plank by which 
the turtle-crawl could be entered, and peered 

30 * 


OR FEED RANSOM. 


355 


down into the darkness. Had there been much 
light, no doubt our presence in the oblong pas¬ 
sage, which lay between the bathing-room and 
the turtle-crawl, would have been discovered. I 
shuddered when I saw the plank replaced, and 
realized how narrowly we had escaped. 

I then felt as if our last trial of fortitude had 
passed. But I was mistaken. Another was in 
store for us. Hardly had the sun risen, when, 
by the light which penetrated our retreat, I 
perceived wreathing lines of smoke coming from 
the floor above. The house was on fire. Soon 
the smoke descended in volumes so stifling, that 
we were obliged to keep our faces close to the 
water, to avoid being sufibcated. The roar of 
the flames grew louder and louder. All hope 
vanished. The alternatives seemed to be death 
by suflbcation, or by the hands of the Indians. 
The house soon fell into the cellar, and even 
now, when I recall the ensuing scene, it seems 
impossible that human nature could withstand 
what we endured. We could not see each other. 
The planking which covered the long, narrow 
space, in which we were ensconced, took fire, and 
we were constantly obliged to dash water upon 
it. At the same time, we were obliged to cover 
our heads with marl, and throw water over 
them, to diminish the intense heat, and disperse 
the smoke, so that we could breathe, James 


356 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


could endure no more. He began to scream. 
His mother forcibly held him, and gagged him 
with her hand : while one of his sisters held his 

ir 

arms. But, frantic with terror, he broke from 
them, and displacing one of the palmetto posts, 
which separated our place of concealment from 
the turtle-crawl, made his escape. 

We now thought our fate sealed, and des¬ 
perately awaited the arrival of the Indians. 
Blank despair settled upon us. I confess that 
I had not a ray of hope that we would not be 
discovered and murdered. We waited for some 
time, in dreadful suspense, but heard no noise. 
Mrs. Gluzel, feeling that we could not exist 
much longer there, approached the line of pal¬ 
metto posts, and, with her hands, dug up the 
marl at the bottom of some of them, until she 
removed it sufficiently to withdraw them. We 
all passed out under the adjoining wharf, on 
which was some blazing cord-wood, dropping its 
cinders into the water below. As we emerged 
from the wharf, we perceived James standing on 
the shore, gazing distractedly in every direction. 
Near the wharf beyond, we espied a large launch, 
to which we waded, beckoning to James to follow 
us. We dragged the boat into deep water, 
jumped into it, and commenced poling and row¬ 
ing with all our might, to get clear of the Key. 
Fortunately, James knew how to manage a boat, 


OR FRED RANSOM. ' 


357 


and we made good speed. We once ran aground, 
but soon succeeded in getting the launch afloat. 
Some of the Indians happening to discover us, 
as we got clear of the shore, ran down to the 
water’s edge, yelling with rage. But we were be¬ 
yond rifle-shot before they could recover from 
their surprise. We then saw a boat from the 
Flying Cloud pulling to our assistance. 

We were saved. The presence of the launch 
seemed providential. Laden with goods stowed 
in it by the Indians, in a brief interval of their 
absence, it changed from the means of pillage 
to the instrument of our safety. 

It was afternoon when we got aboard of the 
schooner. A few residents of the Key had 
already reached her. Others, who had secreted 
themselves in various places on the Key, were 
discovered when the Indians had retired. Mrs. 
Cluzel and her children were led into the cabin, 
and the captain begged them to take any thing 
with which they could cover themselves. They 
had nothing on but their night-clothes. 

After the Indians had left, some scattered 
dresses were found, and they were distributed 
among the sufferers. The situation of Mrs. 
Cluzel and her children was deplorable in the 
extreme. Bereft of the head of their family, 
destitute of clothing; devoured by restless fear 
of a renewed attack by the Indians; thf y needed, 


358 THE YOTJNG WRECKER, 

and, I must say, received our fullest sympathy 
and aid. All that the captain could do, he did, 
to alleviate their sufferings, physical and mental. 
On the night of the second day after their arrival 
on the schooner, they heard the report of two 
rifles, which was understood to be a signal 
agreed upon in case the Indians attacked Tea- 
Table Key. So unnerved were they by the 
ordeal through which they had passed, that, 
although a storm was raging, the idea of the 
proximity of the Indians put them in so great 
a paroxysm of terror, that they implored the 
captain to let them have a boat to leave the 
vessel. The captain, in a kind but firm manner, 
refused to accede to their request. If he had 
done so, they would inevitably have perished in 
the storm. 

Towards evening, there arrived a United 
States schooner, commanded by an officer of the 
Navy. He at once surrendered his state-room 
to the Cluzel family, and, the next day but one, 
sailed for Cape Florida, to await the passing of 
a steamer in which the family could reach St. 
Augustine. 

Some of those who had taken refuge on the 
Flying Cloud, as well as those who, by hiding 
themselves on shore, had escaped the massacre, 
returned to their dwellings. 

I learned, afterwards, that the Cluzels were 


RATJvSOW. 


1159 

safely put aboard of tiie steamer. On trans¬ 
ferring the party to the naval vessel, on the 
evening preceding her departure, the command¬ 
ing officer requested Captain Bowers to sail for 
Key West, to carry the news of the massacre. 
We got under way at once, and stood down the 
ooa3t. 


S60 


rUUlfQ W KECKER 




FRED RANSOM’S REFLECTIONS-A SHIP ON 
FIRE-THE RESCUE OF THE CREW-MUTUAL 
RECOGNITION. 



HE sun had set, but twilight still 
lingered, as we spread sail and 
glided swiftly along the shadowy line 
of Keys. The storm which had raged 
nearly without intermission, since the 
fatal night of the 6th of August, 
had subsided, and a double calm en¬ 
sued, after the strife of the elements, and the 
more fearful violence of man. We had rea¬ 
son to look back with satisfaction at the part 
which we had acted in the events of the last 
few hours; yet to the retrospection, belonged so 
much that was pamful, that I rejoiced in a 
change of scene which might disturb the memo¬ 
ry of the late pillage and ruthless massacre. I 
had had enough adventure to satisfy the craving 
of the most romantic youth. As a consequence, 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


3G1 


I experienced a longing to return home , and it 
was with a joyful feeling that the thought 
flashed across me, that it was in my present 
frame of mind, and in no other, that I could 
honorably do so. By dint of pondering, came 
the idea of leaving the vessel when she arrived 
at Key West. Then, for the first time, I re¬ 
alized the strength of the tie which bound me 
to the captain and his son. On that account, I 
felt reluctant to go. Yet my father had said, 
that when I could state that I was cured of my 
spirit for adventure, I might return home. I 
was sure that I could say so now. I asked 
myself whether I ought not to return when I 
could say this with truth. I had no right to 
give my father the pain of a prolonged and 
indefinite separation. The accomplishment of 
my desire, and his injunction, were reconcilable, 
and all that opposed them was the anticipated 
pang of separation from my wrecker friends. I 
resolved to leave the vessel at Key West. 

Ever since the morning after the massacre, 
my thoughts had taken this turn; but my final 
determination was not made until the evening 
upon which we weighed anchor. About nine 
o’clock, I was alone, reclining on the trunk- 
cabin, gazing at the stars, and listening to the 
purling sound of the low waves sweeping past 
the schooner. The calm influence of night and 


31 


362 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


Rolitude inspired a thoughtful mood, and I 
resolved to encourage it until I had reached a 
solution of the question which had engaged my 
mind. 

As I ceased communing with myself, my 
spirits rose. Doubt had vanished. My desire 
and my duty were in accord. I felt supremely 
happy. I sprang to my feet, and walked to¬ 
wards the cabin, with the intention of telling 
my friends of my determination; but, on second 
thoughts, I concluded to defer telling the news 
until we reached Key West, for I felt sure 
that it would grieve them both to know that we 
must part. 

Passing the companion-way, I heard a mur¬ 
mur of conversation. One of the survivors of 
the massacre was recounting to the captain some 
of the details of his escape with his family. 
The children, with their mothers, were retiring 
to rest, as I judged from the glow of a light 
behind a blanket which had been hung across 
the cabin, in order to afford privacy to the fe¬ 
male passengers. 

Brady was at the helm. I sat down near 
him, under the lee of the bulwarks. The lo¬ 
quacious fellow instantly took the opportunity 
to ask me some questions about the killing of 
the cliafe,” and about the events of the night 


OR FRED RANSOM. 363 

of the 6th of August, althougn he knew that the 
captain allowed no conversation at the helm. 

“ I will not talk to you, Brady,” said 1. It 
is against orders.” 

Did you hear that,” said Brady, quickly. 

I tell you, Brady,” returned I, “ that I will 
not talk to you. If you go on, I ’ll be obliged 
to report you.” 

“ It's a gun, I mane,” said Brady. I heerd 
a gun.” 

“ Nonsense,” said I, thinking that his imagi¬ 
nation was running upon the Indians. “We are 
miles away from Indian Key.” 

“ It’s a cannon, I mane,” said Brady, 
“ There! Do you hear that ?” 

“No, I did not,” said I, rising. “And, more¬ 
over, I think that the cannon is in your imagi¬ 
nation. But perhaps I could n’t hear so well 
where I was, as you can by the helm.” 

A short time elapsed, and I was on the point 
of resuming my seat, when I heard the report 
of a distant cannon. 

“ Do n’t you hear that ?” exclaimed Brady. 

“ You ’re right,” said I. “ Captain!” shouted 
I, calling down the companion-way. “ Please 
come on deck. I hear signal-guns.” 

The captain sprang up the steps, followed by 
one of the passengers, and stood beside us. 

The sound of the guns came at regular and 


361 


THE YOUNG WEECKEK 


frequent intervals, as fast as a single piece of 
ordnance can be loaded and fired. 

“ I should judge by the sound,” said the 
captain, that the vessel must be well off shore, 
—fifteen miles at least.” 

Two or three of the male passengers now 
joined the party, and one of them, who was a 
sea-captain, agreed with Captain Bowers in his 
estimate of the distance from our vessel to the 
vessel in distress. 

It seems to me,” he added that she must 
bear about south south-east from where we 
are.” 

Captain Bowers assented. 

‘^She is to the southward, certainly,” re¬ 
marked one of the passengers; ^^fordon’t you 
observe that the reports .have become much 
louder ?” 

“ She bears about south south-east,” said 
Captain Bowers, in a confident tone. “ I shall 
keep the schooner on her present' course, for 
awhile; and then try to cross the Eeef, through 
a channel I know. In four or five miles we ’ll 
be abreast of her.” 

When we had sailed about that distance, the 
correctness of the view expressed, as to the 
vessel’s first bearing from our position, was con¬ 
firmed, for the sound of the reports came from 
the eastwai'd. 


OR FRED RA.NSOM. 


365 


“All hands stand by to haul in the fore and 
tuain sheets/’ shouted the captain. “ Here, you 
three men, come aft. Luff her up, Brady. 
Haul away uow. Give a pull at the main-peak 
halliards, men. Trim the jib-sheet. Steady at 
that, Brady.” 

The schooner was now close-hauled, and run¬ 
ning directly towards the Beef. Before long 
we passed through the channel, and the reports 
of the cannon became more and more distinct. 

Suddenly, near the horizon, a bright light 
glowed, encompassing a large ship with a mo¬ 
mentary halo. 

“ She’s on fire!” shouted every one on deck. 
The noise brought up all the crew who were 
below, as well as those occupants of the cabin 
who had not retired to rest, and our forward 
deck was filled with eager gazers. 

The glow quickly reappeared, and as suddenly 
vanished. Again it commenced, shone flicker- 
ingly, and died away into utter darkness. 

With a quick leap, the light arose once more, 
increasing in intensity, until the ship became a 
great bonfire, lighting up the horizon with a 
dazzling glare. 

The darting blaze, amid her masts, devoured 
her sails, as powder is consumed in the quick 
breath of its explosion. The sails gone, the 
blazing hull then lighted the masts, which soon 

31 * 


S66 


THE YOUNG WRECKER 


showed like pillars of fire, until, charred to the 
core, just before they fell, quick streaks of light 
coursed up and down them, like the darting of 
electric sparks. The whole of the forward part 
of the ship, even to the mizzen-mast, was in 
flames. It was very evident from the character 
of the conflagration, that the ship had been for 
a long time afire in her hold; the hatches 
had been battened down to exclude the air, 
and smother the flames, which, although pent 
up, imperceptibly gained the mastery, and sud¬ 
denly bursting their bonds, had wrapped the 
ship in a tornado of flame. 

The deck of the Flying Cloud was a scene 
of bustle and preparation. The boats were 
prepared, so that we could lower them at a 
moment’s notice. The two quarter-boats, with 
close stowing, could hold a dozen persons besides 
the oarsmen. The dingy we had lost at Indian 
Key. We had nothing upon which to depend, 
except the quarter-boats. 

'‘I’ve got just two crews of four men each, 
for the boats,” said Captain Bowers to the sea- 
captain. You take command of one of the 
boats, and Fred Eansom will take charge of the 
other. I ’ll run as close as I dare. Hannibal 
and I can manage the vessel, with the aid of 
one or two of the passengers. Take your sta- 


OR FRED RANSOM. 367 

tions by the boats, men,” shouted the captain. 
‘^Hannibal, take the helm.” 

The men ran up the companion-ladders, and 
reached the quarter-deck. One of them got 
into each boat, to unhook the falls as soon as 
she was lowered, and the others stood by the 
davits. 

The light of the Uie was now so vivid, that 
on our decks, the face of every one shone 
brightly in the glare. We were ploughing ra¬ 
pidly through the sea, and objects on the ship 
became at every moment more distinguishable. 
She drifted, an unmanageable mass, with the 
flames sweeping from her stem almost to her 
stern. Near the stern, we could see dark clus¬ 
ters, which we recognized as human beings, 
trying to escape, on the verge of the taffrail, the 
blast of the fiery furnace. 

The excited shout and rush to the forward- 
deck, with which all on the deck of the schooner 
had involuntary greeted the discovery that the 
mysterious vessel in distress was a ship on fire, 
had at once given place to brief command, dis¬ 
ciplined and prompt obedience. In a minute 
afterwards, we were standing motionless at our 
posts. The passengers who had retired, com¬ 
menced to emerge from the cabin, their scanty 
dress and excited gestures betokening that the 
Budden noise had, owing to the scenes through 


308 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

which they had lately passed, produced in them 
an alarm little short of a panic. 

We were nearing the ship so rapidly, that we 
could sometimes see a figure separate itself from 
one of the little knots of human beings, run 
quickly to and fro, and then again become 
merged in the dark mass that hung, like 
swarming bees, close to the taffrail. 

The captain luffed the schooner slightly, so 
as to run to windward of the ship. As we held 
on our new course, and the ship drifted slowly 
to leeward, from our new point of view the 
figures in the groups on the ship’s poop began 
to appear detached. Just after we had changed 
our course, we thought that the ship’s passen¬ 
gers must for the first time have seen our 
vessel; for a fluctuating movement was per¬ 
ceptible amongst them, and then a shrill sound, 
like a cry of distress, was faintly borne to our 
ears. 

We were soon within hearing of the agonizing 
cries of the ship’s passengers. The progress of 
the flames was depriving them of tlie little space 
in which they had huddled, cowering on the 
deck to escape the scorching heat. Objects of 
various sorts were being hastily thrown over¬ 
board, and human forms were seen leaping into 
the water. Some rushed wildly to and fro, 


OR FRED RANSOM. 369 

wringing their hands, stopping abruptly, and 
then precipitating themselves into the sea. 

Oh, if we could only have arrived a few 
rriiuutes earlier!” exclaimed I to the sea-cap¬ 
tain, who was standing at his post on the other 
side of the deck. “I am afraid that thev will 
all be lost.'' 

Never fear,” he replied, “ the ship must 
have been afire for a long time, and those things 
that were thrown overboard, before any one 
leaped, were prepared for that purpose. TLe 
sea is pretty smooth. We may pick most of the 
people up.” 

We were now so near that the crackling and 
roar of the- flames were distinctly audible. 
Only two figures were visible on the ship's poop. 
They showed like silhouettes* against the back¬ 
ground of flame. 

The two female figures (for they were in fe¬ 
male costume) showed so distinctly, that I could 
recognize by their respective height and size, 
that one was a woman, and the other a young 
and slender girl. They stood poised on the 
tafiPrail, clasped each other in a momentary em¬ 
brace, and then, hand in hand, sprang into the 
sea. 

♦ A silhouette is a black figure, in which nothing is re¬ 
cognizable except the outline. 


370 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

I heard the captain s voice shout, ^‘Down with 
your helm, Hannibal!" 

The schooner shot up into the winds eye, 
and slowly lost her way, and as soon as the 
captain dared, he said, ‘‘Lower away the boats." 

To lower the boats, unhook the falls, shove 
off from the schooner, point and let fall the 
oars, and pull in the direction of the place 
where most of the ship’s passengers had leaped 
into the sea, required but a few seconds. A few 
more, brought us to the place where, clinging 
to spars, boxes, barrels, and other articles, so 
numerous that it was evident that they had 
been prepared, we found some drowning 
wretches tossing amid the waves. We dragged 
them into the boats, working with desperate 
eagerness, so as to avail ourselves of the 
bright light of the burning ship, which was 
rapidly drifting away to leeward. Sometimes, 
when we had almost given over further search, 
a faint cry led us to the rescue of some one yet 
struggling in the water. All at once, I thought 
of the two female figures that I had seen pre¬ 
cipitate themselves from the ship. Neither was 
in my boat. After taking aboard seven people, 
I had been for five minutes vainly pulling 
around in every direction. I bethought me of 
pulling towards the other boat, to see if they 
were there. They were not. There '^as not a 


CPw FRED RANSOM. 


871 


woman nor a girl in either boat. I recollected 
that they had remained last on the ship. If 
they were to be found, they were nearer to the 
ship I steered along the fiery track of the 
ship drifting to leeward. I soon heard a shrill 
cry. Then a louder one came. The light 
from the burning ship showed a dark ob¬ 
ject on the crest of a wave. I steered in that 
direction. I distinguished cries for help. We 
reached the place, found and dragged into the 
boat two female figures. One was that of a 
woman of mature age, the other that of a mere 
slip of a girl. They were clinging to a spar, 
and were almost exhausted by their efforts to 
retain their hold. They must be the persons 
of whom I was in search, thought I. 

I saw the other boat approaching mine, and 
heard the hail of the sea-captain who was in 
charge of her. I rowed to meet him, and as we 
neared each other, he hallooed: 

I have the captain of the ship aboard my 
boat. He wants to make a count, to see who 
are missing.” 

The boats ranged up along-side of each other, 
and the captain of the ship, as soon as he came 
near, recognizing some of the people in my 
boat, asked the names of others whom, at the 
first glance, he could not distinguish. ^^Are 
Mrs. and Miss Brenton aboard ?” said he. 


372 


THE YOUNG WEECKER, 


“ There are a woman and a girl in the 
bottom of the boat,” said 1. ^‘1 don’t know 
their names. They are too much exhausted to 
speak.” 

“ Then,” said the captain of the ship, “all 
that can be saved, are saved. One man, when 
the fire was first discovered, became panic- 
stricken, jumped overboard, and was drowned.” 

We steered for the schooner, and aided the 
passengers to reach the deck. I jumped out 
of my boat, and taking Miss Brenton by the 
hands, lifted her up to the deck, while one of 
the men assisted her mother. 

Miss Brenton was so exhausted that she tot¬ 
tered. To keep her from falling, I was obliged 
to encircle her waist with my arm. As I 
turned, in the act, to address some words of 
encouragement to her, I for the first time ob¬ 
tained a full view of her face. I was seized with 
astonishment so great, that I nearly let her fall 
to the deck. 

“ Julia !” exclaimed I. 

She glanced at me with a startled look, and 
murmured, “ Fred!” 

“ Fred Bansom!” echoed Mrs. Brenton. 

“This is no time for explanations,” said I, 
addressing them. “You are both exhausted. 
You had better go down, at once, into the 
cabin.” 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


373 


Saying this, I escorted Julia and her mother 
to the companion-way, where they were received 
by two of the lady-passengers. 

Some of the ship’s crew were accommodated 
forward. Some remained on deck. The cap¬ 
tain of the ship, his three officers, and two 
of the male passengers, finding how crowded 
the cabin was, declined to accept a place there. 
Captain Bowers gave them a change of clothes, 
and some light bedding, which they spread on 
deck. 

The captain did not attempt to return through 
the channel across the Eeef. When, an hour 
before, he had passed through it, the urgency of 
the case admitted of no debate. 

We were forced to keep on a course along the 
outside edge of the Beef, breasting the current 
of the Gulf Stream. 

The ship burned, until, owing to our increas¬ 
ing distance and the waste of material for 
combustion, she showed like a great live-coal 
upon the surface of the sea. When day dawned, 
she was out of sight. 

At that time we were still far from Key 
West. During the latter part of the night, 
the wind had been extremely fickle, ahd as 
the schooner had had to contend with the cur¬ 
rent of the Gulf Stream, she had not made 
much way. 

32 


^74 THE YOUNG WRECHEH, 

It was late in the morning, before Mrs. 
Bren ton and Julia were able to come on deck, 
owing to the fact that their clothes were in 
process of drying. The other lady-passengers 
were not able to replenish their wardrobe, for 
they themselves were destitute even of a change. 

I anxiously looked for the Bren tons, and was 
gratified when, about ten o’clock, they emerged 
from the cabin. They were both pale and 
weak, and Mrs. Brenton leaned on her daughter 
for support. 

“ Take my arm, Mrs. Brenton,” said I, ad¬ 
vancing. The fresh air on deck will revive 
you.” 

** It is like a dream,” said Mrs. Brenton, half 
soliloquizing, and half addressing me. It was 
only a fortnight ago,” added she, in a weak 
voice, ‘Mhat I saw your father, and we were 
talking of the prospect of your return. Julia 
and I were on our way to join my husband in 
Valparaiso. What will become of us! I was 
not able to save even the money which I had 
in my trunk. For the sake of your father’s 
friendship for my husband, you must stay with 
us, Fred.” 

I will, indeed,” I replied. And I would 
have done so under any circumstances. I shall 
noi appear to have so much merit now, when I 
confess that, before I met you, I intended to 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


375 


return Lome when this vessel reached Key West. 
It seems providential that she, of all the wreck¬ 
ers, slioiild have been so fortunate as to save you. 
The captain and his family are strong friends of 
mine. I have a little sum of money saved up in 
Key West, and the moment that we arrive there^ 
you will be provided with what is necessary, and 
my remaining funds will be sufficient to pay our 
passage to New York.” 

I have, indeed, reason to be grateful,” re¬ 
plied Mrs. Brenton. 

Julia timidly smiled her thanks. 

For half an hour, they walked the deck, and 
then, being fatigued, returned to the cabin. I 
seized the opportunity to communicate to the 
captain my intention of departure, assigning 
the reasons which I have already given the 
reader, adding the additional one, of the ne¬ 
cessity of my becoming the protector of the 
Brentons, who were friends of our family. 

A shade passed over the captain’s face. 
George said that I could not go; that the 
Brentons could take passage from Key West 
for New York, just as well without me as with 
me. 

But the captain checked his son, and turning 
t^ me, said: 

“ I approve of your intention, Fred. The 


376 


THE TOUNO WRECKER 


reason that you first gave me was sufficient 
Never forget your wrecker friends, my boy.” 

Never!” said I, walking away to conceal 
my emotion. And I never shall forget them. 


OWL FRED RANSOM. 


877 


ARRIVAL AT KEY WEST-FRED RANSOM AND 
PARTY SAIL FOR NEW YORK-THE VOYAGE 
HOME-THE OLD BACHELOR’S ADIEU. 


UT little remains to be told. My 
story drc'j,ws to its close. 

When the Flying Cloud reached 
her wharf in Key West, the news 
of the massacre quickly spread 
through the town. During the 
whole day after our arrival, the 
citizens poured down to the schooner, to learn 
the particulars of the catastrophe. 

The doors of the hospitable residents of the Key 
flew open to welcome the distressed people whom 
we had brought with us. Mrs. Bowers received 
Mrs. and Miss Brenton in her house, and her 
sympathy and aid soon restored the two agitated 
sufferers to comfort and equanimity. 

I may as well mention here, what I after¬ 
wards learned in relati''u to the doings of the 



32* 


V 


378 


THE YOUNG WRECKER, 


Indians near our wrecking station off Cape 
Florida. The mill on the Miami was burned 
to the ground. The keeper of the light-house 
at Cape Florida was attacked by the Indians, 
and driven into the tower. He took refuge in 
the lantern, from which position he made so 
stubborn a defence, that the Indians desisted from 
their attempt to dislodge him, and after setting 
fire to the staircase, retreated. The keeper, 
unable to descend, remained for hours on top 
of the tower, whence he was finally rescued by 
an armed party of whites. 

An opportunity to reach Hew York soon pre¬ 
sented itself, \n the arrival of a ship which put 
into Key West for repairs, after having been sub¬ 
jected to stress of weather in the Gulf of 
Mexico. 

I drew all the money remaining to my credit 
on the books of the owners of the Flying Cloud. 
It amounted to a considerable sum; for in ad¬ 
dition to what was due for salvage, my monthly 
allowance had always been remitted by my 
father, although, after the award to me of a 
share in the salvage, I had released him from 
his promise to make me an allowance. 

The time of parting'came at last. It was with 
a heavy heart, although I was going home, that 
I bade the captain, George, and the men, good¬ 
bye. The captain s whole family came down to 


OR FRED RANSOM. 


379 


the wharf to see us off in the boat which carried 
us to the ship. I promised the captain and 
George that I would often write to them, and 
assured them of how gladly, at some future time, 
I would seize an opportunity to visit them in 
our old haunts. I went through the final shak¬ 
ing of hands, jumped into the boat, and waved 
my handkerchief from the ship, as long as my 
friends were within sia:ht. 

Soon we were on the broad ocean. Nearly 
one year before, I had left home, an unwilling 
voyager, sailing away into that unknown, mys¬ 
terious world, which I had longed to see, and 
which, when the opportunity offered, was by 
circumstances divested of all the charms with 
which to my fancy it had been endowed. 
Through what strange vicissitudes of fortune 
had I not passed! Not a cloud now obscured 
the serenity of my mind. The breeze all day 
seemed to whisper the word. Home. The crests 
of the swiftly-gliding waves seemed to peer at 
me over the bulwarks, and murmur. Home. 

Mrs. Brenton was terribly prostrated by sea¬ 
sickness. Julia, after a slight attack, recovered, 
and was not again affected by it during the 
voyage. 

At night, we two used to pace the deck, arm 
in arm, conversing in tones subdued by the 
influence of the mighty deep. One moonlight 


380 THE YOUNG WEECKER, 

night, just before we reached New York, we 
were thus pacing up and down the deck. The 
slight figure of my companion moved gracefully 
at my side. I was so enthralled by the loveli¬ 
ness of the scene, and the artless discourse of 
Julia, that I felt as if I could wish that the spell 
might endure forever. 

“Julia,’' said I suddenly. “I must give you 
some memento by which you can recall my con¬ 
nection with the strange adventure through 
wliich you have just passed.” 

“ I can never forget your connection with it,” 
she replied, “for you saved our lives. I need 
no token.” 

“ Yes!” rejoined I; “ but I wish to make you 
a present of something which I have, that will 
be safer in your possession, and more appro¬ 
priate too, than in mine. Wait and you shall 
see it.” 

I went to the cabin, and brought back the box 
containing my shell-basket. Carefully lifting 
out the basket, I deposited it on a seat, that it 
might be seen to the best advantage. The 
moon-beams shone brightly on the clusters of 
pearly flowers, and on the delicate trembling 
tendrils. 

“Is it not beautiful!” said we both at once, 
stooping, at the same time, to examine it mor« 


OE FRED RANSOM. 


381 


Julia's curls grazed my cheek. As she raised 
her head, blushingly conscious of the accident, 
I said: 

“ All that I ask in return is the least hit for 
a locket.” 

Young reader, you think that this was the 
beginning of a love affair, the sequel to which, 
after some years, was that Julia and I were 
married. 

Ah! you forget that I said I was an old 
bachelor. I am. Therefore I did not marry 
Julia, although I did save her from drowning. 
We parted. You and I must also part. 

As I write these words, which I know are some of 
a very few yet to be written, I feel a sadness steal 
over me. The gas-light in my room seems to grow 
dim, and, as I glance around, I feel as if I were 
about to be more solitary than I have been of late. 

Over the arm of yonder sofa, hangs the skin of 
the male panther (we never got the other one), 
and, on the mantle-piece, are a few branching 
corals, that serve for decoration, and to recall 
the past. For your amusement, and mine, I 
have written the story that I promised, but as 
yours commences, my own must cease. For a 
brief space, I have been a boy, but as I lay down 
my pen, I am again a lonely old bachelor. 


THE END. 




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